Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will share time with Senator Lynch if that is agreeable to the House. I probably will not need all the time.

First, I congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on her election success and I wish her well. As others have stated, she will be a very fair and balanced Leas-Chathaoirleach. She has huge experience in this Chamber and I know she will work extremely hard on behalf of all Senators.

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber for the first time. As Senator Clifford-Lee said, I suspect this will be one of his easier visits to either Chamber. The Minister knows well that in his role he will be called on to come here or to go to the Lower House quite often but I know he takes the role and responsibility very seriously. He has huge respect for this Chamber and that is acknowledged and appreciated. We look forward to working with him over the next five years.

As previously stated, this is a fairly easy piece of legislation. We nearly take for granted in this country the opportunities we have for free movement across the European Union and the advantages that brings. What the Minister is asking us to do here today has no impact on us because we have a common travel area with the UK which predates our joining the European Union. It is important, however, that we are part of that negotiation with all EU countries in terms of working with the UK. We have a special bond with the UK and it is of benefit to all European countries that we are part of that negotiation because of our close relationship with our UK counterparts.

In his contribution, the Minister said this is not a free movement of people because in the context of things in the UK, that can be skewed into something it is not. The scheme is for people aged between 18 and 30, and from my reading of it, it is for a minimum of one year to a maximum of three years. It is to avail of those same opportunities and advantages people have in European countries to come to the UK, whether that is for work, college or something else. There is an essence of irony - I know the Minister does not want to touch on Brexit - that we are trying to provide those opportunities to the UK despite it having democratically voted against being a member of the European Union. We are trying to give them the opportunity to have some of the good aspects of membership to the European Union. From a diplomatic perspective, however, it is important, particularly for the citizens and youth of the UK, to have the opportunity to travel to other countries.

This is quite a straight forward request from the Minister and as a Fine Gael Party member and as part of the Government side, we support it and wish the Minister well with it.