Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to an Aire Stáit for missing his opening statement. I managed to have a quick speed-read through it to capture most of what was said. I very much welcome the debate and I very much welcome the Minister of State's presence. From engaging with him in previous positions, I know the energy he will bring to this.

In one sense, it is timely to have a debate close to St. Patrick's Day because it is a time when there is an opportunity for engagement, but the issue of immigration and our diaspora should be an all-year-round issue for the Government. I note some of the commitments in the Minister of State's opening statement.

From my perspective, there are two broad categories, the first being those who have had to leave for economic reasons, housing being a key factor, and who would come back if the circumstances were right. The question is how we can reach out to them. The Minister of State outlined some of the portals available and some of the work that has been undertaken on that. We need to get to a situation where immigration is a choice and where the route home is always open to those who leave these shores.

The Minister of State has responsibility for the diaspora, which I very much welcome. I look forward to engaging with him in the time ahead. There have been suggestions of a one-stop shop. The Minister of State talked about the work done on PPS numbers. Those considering coming back need to be assisted with recognition of qualifications, advice on access to health and education, including higher education, and access to benefits. In his opening statement, the Minister of State mentioned recognition of educational qualifications and skills. The issue of driver licences seems a little bit mundane but is actually quite an important matter for people who may be returning back and have learned to drive in other countries.

The key issue in all of this, and the elephant in the room, is the housing crisis. If it is not fixed and young people do not have an opportunity to have families and be able to afford to raise families here, that will always be a factor in driving people away from their own country.

The second category is one in which I have my own experience, as I am sure has the Minister of State and many of the other Seanadóirí here, of engaging over time with those millions of citizens worldwide who have new adopted homelands and who over many generations have been hugely influential in shaping this country's cultural, economic and political landscape. Today, the global Irish community plays a pivotal role in promoting our interests internationally. They have made a huge impact politically and economically in their adopted countries, particularly in the United States, and they want to continue to support economic prosperity and political change in Ireland. I had the opportunity in previous roles I had of meeting people who have formed advisory councils to support economic development work in various countries, and using their own time, their own capabilities, their own connectivity and networks to promote the interests of Ireland abroad.

The question that many people in the diaspora put to us when we are visiting is what they get in return. Apart obviously from the connections with Ireland, including family connections, they are making a very significant contribution to our opportunities politically and economically abroad. The constitutional convention in 2013 promised them voting rights in Irish presidential elections, but that has not been delivered. It does not seem to have been a priority for the previous Government or, indeed, this one. I would hope it becomes a priority very soon.

This is not a unique thing for Irish emigrants; it is a practice that is adopted by many European countries, for instance, France and Italy. In my neighbouring town of Newry, one Sunday morning I noticed a queue of people outside the Latvian consulate's office. When I asked what they were doing, I was told they were queuing up to vote in a presidential election. Irish citizens in that town, which is a ten-minute drive from County Louth, cannot vote for our President and the Irish diaspora abroad cannot vote for their President.

We need to establish the structures not only for allowing people a democratic input into the election of President, but also for an input into the dialogue that is beginning and needs to continue on what the future of this country looks like, including the constitutional change that is inevitable. There is a role and a desire for those who are living abroad to make a contribution to that. They do so politically in the countries in which they reside. They do so economically by promoting us abroad, establishing networks and investing back in this country as well. We need to afford them an opportunity to be part of that conversation.

Next week, I hope to have the opportunity to be in New York where I will talk to a number of trade unions, and I have no doubt that question will arise. I have no doubt that, when the Taoiseach and other Ministers are travelling around the globe, they will be asked what practical and political inputs the diaspora can have into the future direction of our country. I hope the Ministers who travel will be able to come up with some answers and give some encouragement in response to that question.