Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Conway's point about the need for a debate on the EU, the euro and where we are at the moment as the fallout in Greece continues. The future of the European project is very much in doubt, especially in light of the role the euro has played in the debt crisis in Ireland and other countries in Europe. We see the weakness of the euro project in Greece. We saw it in Ireland. It is the only currency in the world that does not have the fiscal reasonability that goes with a currency from where it is printed, namely, the ECB. We do not have that with the euro and we have seen the difficulties this presents. We should have a debate about this, Ireland's position in Europe and the European project in general, including the euro. We may not have time before the recess but perhaps the Leader would arrange it when we return in early September.

I also call on the Leader to facilitate a debate to discuss the undocumented Irish in the US.It is an issue in particular at this time of year when families like to be together over the summer months, but many are locked in the United States because they cannot come home, due to the three-year and eight-year bar. There is an alternative which would allow approximately 25% of the undocumented Irish to avail of a waiver scheme, according to the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform group, whereby visa waivers can be given at the discretion of US embassies abroad without the need for congressional, Senate or presidential approval. Mexico was facilitated with 58,000 such waivers in 2011, and in fact Mexicans got 8,542 waivers last year. Ireland only got 118 waivers last year while the North and the UK got 2,250 waivers. There is a real opportunity for the US ambassador to Ireland to consider a mechanism to approve waivers to facilitate some of the undocumented in the United States to become legal citizens there. To be fair to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, he has raised the issue with US officials but we should have a debate on it here. I am not sure if there is a mechanism for the Seanad as a group to facilitate a discussion with the US ambassador to Ireland on the issue. In terms of thinking outside the box, perhaps the Leader could think about it over the summer and we could revisit the matter in September.