Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Bhí éisteacht an-mhaith ar fad againn ar maidin ag an gcomhchoiste tuaithe maidir le na saoránaigh Éireannacha atá ag cónaí thar lear.

We had a good and detailed presentation at the rural affairs committee on diaspora issues and Irish citizens abroad from Mr. Ciarán Staunton of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, who is well-known around these Houses, Ms Karen McHugh of Safe Home Ireland - Emigrant Support Service, Mr. Michael McMahon, who is lobbying on behalf of families of the undocumented Irish in the United States and a returned Irish citizen, Ms Maureen Sullivan. They chronicled for the committee once more the practical issues faced by any returning emigrant such as national reserve entitlements, car insurance, access to driver licences, opening bank accounts, applying for loans, education for themselves and their children etc.

They also alluded to the interdepartmental committee on diaspora affairs, launched in 2015 at the global Irish civic forum. It was to meet quarterly but apparently the last time it met was in November 2016. There were to be reports of the different meetings but today's witnesses said no reports have been made available. They voiced a huge frustration at a lack of impetus from the Government on the issues they are raising. They were critical of the lack of engagement and flexibility on the part of Departments and State agencies when it comes to solving many of the issues.

I note the Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora, Deputy Joe McHugh, has been able to go to London twice. He has also been in Kenya, Uganda and San Francisco but he still has not been able to come to us in the Seanad to discuss diaspora affairs. That is not good enough. I have asked for this debate on many occasions and have been patient so far. With the implications of the new presidency in the US and Brexit, we need the Minister of State into the Seanad as soon as possible. I will not accept any more excuses on the issue from the Leader. If the Minister of State does not come in, I will propose amendments to the Order of Business for him to attend the House until he does. I implore the Leader to invite him to the House. I note he is in the Dáil this morning, so he is obviously in the Houses and he knows his way around. Can we get him in as soon as possible?