Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have. There have been many discussions in this House and in the other House on the tens of thousands of Irish people who settled in the United States in past decades who are in employment but remain undocumented, illegal migrants. Many politicians from all parties have travelled to meet politicians in the US and successive US Presidents on this issue but we stand in danger of being accused of hypocrisy if we do not address the problem on our own doorstep of the 30,000 migrant families and their children living undocumented here. Many of those people have been working in well-paid jobs and are paying their taxes. They are deeply rooted in the communities in which they live but they are living under great stress and fear. They are vulnerable to exploitation and excluded from basic services. Like the Irish in America they are cut off from their families. That issue must be addressed.

I ask the Leader to arrange to have a debate in the not too distant future to allow the Minister, Deputy Shatter, come into the House to discuss this issue and how we could introduce an earned regularisation scheme that might work where "illegals" here would earn credits and that over time their position in this country would be regularised. It involves a significant number of people. They are making a contribution to the society and to the community and like the Irish in America it is only fair that they be allowed travel to see their relatives without the fear of being excluded from the country in the future.