Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

I move an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 14 be taken as the first item of business. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come into the House and have a debate on visas for the Irish in America. The Bill passed by the US Congress, by 389 to 15, allows for high-skilled individuals from China and India but not Ireland to be granted visas for the United States. The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, led by Ciaran Staunton and assisted by former congressman Bruce Morrison, are trying to table an amendment in the US Senate whereby the Irish will be granted visas as part of the legislation. It is very important for us to allow people to get proper documentation if they decide to emigrate so that we do not have a new wave of undocumented Irish people in the United States. It does not solve the issue for undocumented Irish citizens over there but I ask the Leader to organise a debate so that the Minister comes in and addresses the question of the Government's proposals for the 40,000 undocumented Irish citizens, who cannot come home this Christmas because they will not be able to return to the United States.