Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, to the House again for a debate on a key issue. I am fortunate to speak here this afternoon but, unfortunately, our foreign affairs spokesperson, Senator Joe O'Reilly, is overseas in his very important role as Vice President of the Council of Europe.

We are coming up to the annual St. Patrick's Day, or perhaps more correctly it is the St. Patrick's week or month of celebrations. I believe the first parades have already taken place in certain parts of America. I saw a picture of Chuck Schumer leading a parade just last week. It is a fabulous time of year. I was very fortunate last year to spend St. Patrick’s Day in London and this year I will travel abroad in a personal capacity. It is only when one has an opportunity to go abroad that one sees how vitally important that day and the days around it are to so many abroad. Needless to say, we will have the same cynics, as we do every year, bemoaning the travel by the Government, and all political parties, because to be fair, people from all parties go abroad to engage with the diaspora on this most important day. The usual rhetoric we hear is about the price of flights or that people should be doing this or that, but this year of all, when we face so many uncertain challenges such as Brexit or the rise of certain regimes in the US or across Europe, it underscores how important the St. Patrick’s Day trade missions and outreach by the Government are not just to the diaspora, the 70 million odd abroad, but also to Ireland because, to be frank, there is a monetary return on every single trade mission to the United States or elsewhere. I believe the Cathaoirleach is off to Russia this year. There are great opportunities for trade and investment partnerships, which will be vitally important to the State as we face into so many challenges.

That does beg the question of how we reach out to the diaspora beyond 17 March or the weeks either side of it. I welcome the announcement of additional funds. I sense there is probably a significant amount of agreement across the House on how we approach the diaspora, regardless of the party on behalf of whom we speak. That is welcome because this issue goes so much further than party politics. There used to be a tradition of a certificate of heritage for those among the diaspora who are gone for too many generations and who are not eligible to apply for a passport. That is something we could look at bringing back and perhaps formalising.

I welcome the fact that we will have a referendum at the back end of October. To be frank, this is an issue I had a bit of difficulty with personally. I had concerns about whether it was opening the gate essentially to allow for representation without taxation and if the diaspora would be voting in other elections or referendums. It is something that I am not too comfortable with, but the Presidency does not simply represent the people in the Twenty-six Counties, it goes so much further and beyond that. For that reason, I welcome the referendum. Not alone will I vote in favour of it, but I look forward to campaigning across the constituency.

I am fortunate to be convener of the French-Irish friendship group under the Ceann Comhairle’s initiative, and I do a lot of work with the French Senators who represent the French abroad. Within the context of Seanad reform, I would welcome a formal seat, or a couple of them, in this House for the diaspora. We have seen the excellent contributions from Senator Lawless as the voice of the diaspora but, equally, from Senators Marshall and Ó Donnghaile who are giving a voice in this House to Irish citizens across the Border.