Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will keep my comments brief because I know a number of other speakers want to get in on this very important topic. I commend Senator Bacik on bringing this Bill before the House today. My colleagues in Fianna Fáil and I supported her in 2018 and are very happy to do so again. It is a very fitting tribute to the Senator's late colleague, Mr. Cormac Ó Braonáin, that she is bringing this before the House. I hope we can progress it together on a cross-party basis and see that proper pathways to citizenship are afforded to children who have made Ireland their home. These children are Irish. They contribute to our communities and enrich our society. The Senator referred to Eric, a little boy from Wicklow. There have, unfortunately, been many Erics since then. With all due respect to the Minister, it is simply not good enough to say there is an ad hocsystem available by which to gain leave to remain. It is not acceptable that an ad hocsystem decides these matters, which are very important to people.

People are living under the shadow of deportation. They are waiting for the knock at the door or for the letter to arrive. This fear and anxiety have a traumatising effect. We all know that childhood trauma can leave deep scars and this is not something we want for any child. We are a humane people but this system is inhumane. We talk at length about our Irish citizens abroad and about protecting their rights in the countries they have decided to call home, yet we turn a blind eye to what is happening here. It is not good enough. Many undocumented people live here and provide essential services such as care services or work in the food industry. As we have all very recently seen, these jobs are vital to our way of life in this country. It is completely unacceptable that vulnerable people like this are left. I really hope the Minister will listen to people's voices today and will work with Senator Bacik and her colleagues to progress this Bill because I, for one, want to see it come to fruition. I want all children who are born here and who form part of our nation to live free of the anxiety of waiting for a knock at the door.