Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am looking for a debate on improving the law on sexual crime in this country. We must ensure people go to jail when they commit acts of violence against women.

I call for a debate on the undocumented Irish living in America, on which Senator Michael Mullins commented earlier. I attended a rally in Washington in 2006 in support of the Kennedy McCain Immigration Bill. More than 3,000 undocumented Irish people, our citizens, are living and working in America. They cannot get health insurance or travel back to Ireland for family events such as weddings and funerals. Many of them have not been back in Ireland in 20 years. These people want to live legally and want to pay their taxes. They want to embrace a society in a place they now call home. Our Government and society have a responsibility to use whatever influence we have in Washington to support the legalisation and to create a path for documentation for these citizens of our country. We all know undocumented people in America. They are decent, hard-working people. They are our citizens. They fly the Irish flag at every opportunity and I am keen for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to update the House in due course on what exactly is happening to support the undocumented Irish in Washington and in America.