Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and commend him on his activities on behalf of the diaspora. He will have the fullest co-operation from my party in this regard. People often ask what the diaspora stands for. I will show off a little of my classical scholarship; I studied ancient Greek. The Greek word "" effectively means the scattering abroad. The ancient Greeks set up colonies throughout the Adriatic and the Aegean coasts. They regarded these colonies as part of Greece itself, far-flung though they were, and maintained tight relationships with them and funded them. This is one of the reasons most of our modern culture today is founded on Greek as well as Roman civilisation. This is a leaf we should take from their book. I am glad that the Minister of State is doing so and that he cherishes our diaspora, as does everyone in both Houses.

Seventy million people living overseas claim Irish ancestry, which is a huge scale and a huge reach for us as a small island nation. My party, Fianna Fáil, has long recognised the significance and potential of this. We were the first party to appoint a designated spokesman on the diaspora and were one of the very first in with a policy document on the diaspora. We are committed to supporting our diaspora through continued funding of the emigrant support programme, and I welcome the Minister of State's announcement this morning of increased funding in the coming year for the programme. It is very important.

I could dwell on a number of questions but I will pick just a couple in the time allocated. The extension of voting rights to Irish citizens living abroad in presidential elections has been talked about for a while. It is one meaningful and concrete way in which we can show our appreciation for our diaspora. There is a caveat in this, which I will come to later. It will not be so simple. However, it is important we pursue the matter and have results on it.

We in Fianna Fáil also strongly advocate on behalf of the undocumented Irish in the US, focusing especially on the removal of barriers for those who wish to travel home and who live constantly in the shadows, having to miss important events such as parents' funerals. With modern technology, the Minister of State will know that engagement is now much easier with the diaspora. There is a dividend in this engagement for members of the diaspora, who cherish the Irish connection and regard it as an important part of their lives. There is also a significant dividend for us as a small nation, economically, socially and culturally. What diplomatic corps in the world has the advantages that ours has, with Irish people and people claiming Irish descent all over the world?

In March 2017, the Government announced that a referendum would be held to amend Article 12 of the Constitution to allow Irish citizens outside the State, including in Northern Ireland, to vote in presidential elections. This decision is in line with the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention. The convention conducted a number of polls, which showed decisive support among Irish people for the extension of these voting rights. As I said, however, the relatively fractious support as to the precise eligibility of Irish citizens abroad demonstrates that this is a complex issue that will warrant, as the Minister of State will well know, careful consideration. The convention also published an options paper, which explored allowing Irish citizens outside the State and in the North to vote in presidential elections in particular. The options paper noted that in deciding on the question, a number of legal, policy and logistical considerations had to be borne in mind.Decisions need to be made with regard to which residents outside of the State have the right to vote. Specific consideration must be given to the Good Friday Agreement. The unique situation of Irish citizens in the North, and the fact that almost all of those born in Northern Ireland are entitled to Irish citizenship, make it essential that any options considered in relation to the extension of the franchise include this cohort. We are aware that extending voting rights to all citizens also gives rise to logistical and administrative challenges as well as cost implications.

Regarding the undocumented Irish, it has not been possible for many of those people to return to Ireland for any reason, as they would not be granted re-entry into the United States. Living without documentation means living in fear. It is almost impossible. I heard a story recently about a young man who emigrated from the west many years ago. He is undocumented but succeeded in building up a nice business where he is employing upwards of 50 or 60 people, many of them themselves of Irish origin. He has a wife and family but if at any time that unfortunate individual were to come onto the radar by virtue of something as innocuous as a speeding offence, he would be put into limbo while he was checked for all sorts of criminal activity and finding none, presumably, he would then be on the next aeroplane back to Ireland with the entire structure of his life and family left behind. That is an awful way for people to live.

This issue affects not only the undocumented themselves but their families in Ireland, that is, parents, siblings and friends. It is important that the Government would use all its influence to try to settle the matter. Thousands of families are torn apart due to lack of reform in this area. We in Fianna Fáil call on the Minister to engage and continue to support Irish-American organisations throughout the US, such as the Aisling Irish community centre in New York and the Irish pastoral centres in Boston, San Francisco and Chicago. We acknowledge that the Government has appointed Deputy Deasy as its special envoy to Congress on the undocumented. I have no hesitation in saying that he is doing excellent work. It was most disappointing for him and for our colleague, Senator Lawless, our former spokesman on this issue, Senator Mark Daly, and many others, that at the very last second everything fell apart due to the opposition of one Senator, for reasons of his own. We are downhearted as a result of that but we are not totally discouraged. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, will keep the work going.

We in Fianna Fáil are also committed to funding the emigrant support programme. I have already welcomed the Minister of State's announcement this afternoon regarding that. The programme is more vital than ever, in particular in the light of Brexit. It is imperative that when the UK leaves the Union we continue to maintain and build relationships between Ireland and the Irish community in Britain. The decision of the UK to leave the EU will change our relationship with the UK significantly. Both Ireland and the UK joined the EU in 1973 and our shared membership allowed us to forge common bonds at EU level and to build strong working relationships. No doubt our joint membership of the EU helped to facilitate the vitally important Good Friday Agreement.

Do I have much time left, a Leas-Chathaoirligh?