Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

I wish to ask the Leader again for a debate on the undocumented Irish in America. I know we spoke about this matter on the Order of Business on Thursday, but the issue has moved on since then. The key to granting 10,500 E3 visas for Irish citizens now lies with Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts. Both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste will be in America this week. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore, should be invited back to this House to discuss how he got on there and what meetings he had with Senator Brown and other members of Congress in order to secure E3 visas for Irish citizens. The Hispanic community in America has managed to obtain visas in a proposed Bill. As we all know, the argument was that it would be comprehensive emigration reform but that is not so, and it is happening piecemeal. When a US Bill was produced before Christmas it contained no provision for the Irish and we seem to have been caught wrong-footed.

I was in America with the former Congressman Bruce Morrison and Kieran Staunton of the Irish lobby for emigration reform. At my request, they have been invited to attend the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs later this month to update us on their progress. However, the Minister for Foreign Affairs should attend this House for such a debate. He is aware of Senator Schumer's Bill, so he should report to us on what progress he has made. Hopefully, by St. Patrick's Day, we will have an announcement that 10,500 visas will be made available for Irish people.