Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for dealing with the matter I raise. I am interested to find out how many certificates of Irish heritage have been issued and paid for since the scheme was initiated. I fully support the Irish heritage certificate scheme, which is a positive and innovative initiative. I am conscious that a number of high profile individuals have been recipients of the certificates, notably President Barack Obama, to whom a certificate was presented by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and visiting Ministers during the recent St. Patrick's Day period in an event that generated positive media coverage for Ireland. The first certificate also generated positive coverage, although of a much more poignant nature as it was presented posthumously by the Tánaiste in September 2011 to Joseph Hunter, a New York fireman who died tragically in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001. The presentation to Mr. Hunter's family was a worthy beginning to the initiative.

I am curious to learn how many other certificates have been issued and what system is used for issuing them. I am conscious also that certificates have been presented to former President Bill Clinton and Lord Sebastian Coe. I learned from the relevant website that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, issues a certificate on behalf of the Government. Certificates are presented to those who have ancestors born in Ireland but not to those who were born here and recipients must be aged over 18 years. People are also assisted in applying for certificates on the website. I read some of the customer testimonials which are very nice and several make the point that the certificates encourage people to come and visit Ireland. I saw one such testimonial from Argentina by a person who states, "I would like visit your Country...our Country!" The certificates certainly help people to feel a sense of affiliation with this country and if they generate positive trade and tourism links, the scheme will achieve its objective.

As I noted, I am curious to know how many certificates of Irish heritage have been issued and how many of them have been paid for. I am conscious that there is significant value in awarding the certificates free of charge and I anticipate that a considerable number of them will have been awarded by the Government. To give them away for free is in itself valuable if it generates positive publicity for us in other countries. I presume President Obama and former President Clinton did not pay for their certificates. There is immense value in having a facility to give away this type of certificate.