Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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We will proceed with statements on the diaspora. I call the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Richmond.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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It is a great pleasure to be back in the Seanad. It is great to have at least one familiar face from my own time here, a man who was never so happy as when he saw me leave the labour panel, Senator Joe O'Reilly, who called for this debate. I an grateful to the Senator, the Leader and the Deputy Leader for providing time for it. This is a good time of year to take stock of our relationship with the diaspora. I will go into that in a little detail when we talk about it later in the debate.

It would be remiss of me to start this debate without taking a brief moment to remember our dearly missed friend, the former Senator Billy Lawless, who I and Senator O'Reilly sat with in this Chamber for over four years. Many Senators will know of Billy's outstanding work as an advocate on behalf of the Irish in the US but also on behalf of the Irish Americans in this House. He certainly touched many hearts and minds in his contributions. A big, strong man and a stoic Galway man, I know Billy is sorely missed by his family in Galway and Chicago. He is really missed by the Irish American community in particular. I had the pleasure of travelling to Chicago and being hosted by Billy twice and meeting so many different people. His was not necessarily the typical emigrant story. He went out much later in life when his children were grown. He went for a sense of opportunity and, boy, did he take every opportunity. His success in business was only matched by his success in advocacy. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

I am deeply honoured to have been appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for international development and the diaspora. Like many of those present, I have experienced the impact of family and friends moving abroad. I moved abroad in my 20s. I gained invaluable experience while living in Belgium where I learned a huge amount. At the time, my late mother knew only of people leaving Ireland to rarely ever return. Her memory was of my uncle, who, thank God, is still with us, getting the boat to England and that was that. They may have seen each other once a year. Telephone calls and letters were far more expensive at the time. People did not really come back. Little did my mother know that I would be home practically every month, if not every fortnight. Indeed, my emigrant adventure failed after two years, such a homebird am I.

We all have friends and family members who have moved to places perhaps not as close as Brussels, London, Birmingham, Glasgow or Edinburgh or in times when communication was not that obvious. We know of the void that exists when someone we are used to having around the table or in the living room is now only a face on FaceTime. While my experience as someone who left these shores for a relatively brief time brought wonderful opportunities in the context of this debate, I also understand the challenges of starting a life in a new country. I will bring these experiences to my new role. Equally, I will seek to lean on this House and the other House to glean Members' experiences, lived, familial and otherwise.

As we speak today, a myriad of St. Patrick's Day celebrations are kicking off around the world. In the days and weeks ahead, Irish people and friends of Ireland will gather to celebrate that very unique thing that is Irishness. At the heart the celebrations are our diaspora. Reflecting a modern and diverse Ireland, I will ensure that we continue to take a broad and inclusive definition of our diaspora. This will include Irish-born citizens and those whose parents and grandparents were born on this island, the millions of Irish heritage or descent and our affinity diaspora, such as those who once lived, studied or worked here and those who hold a deep appreciation for our people and culture.

The programme for Government commits to delivering a new diaspora strategy. The world, Ireland and migration in general have changed since our last strategy was launched in 2020. Over the course of this year, I will host engagements with a number of diaspora communities across the world so we can better understand these changes and deliver a strategy that meets the evolving needs of long-standing emigrants and newer departees. I already met representatives of the Irish community in London, Birmingham and Coventry recently, and I will meet members of our community in Nairobi next Tuesday during my St. Patrick's Day visit. I also look forward to meeting people in the coming weeks and months in Paris, Brussels and some more far-flung destinations going forward. I also look forward to engaging with all Members of the Oireachtas and other stakeholders on this island.

In order that we hear from as many voices as possible, I will launch an online consultation before the summer. While we work on delivering a new strategy, we also remain focused on strengthening the ties with our diaspora. Underpinning this work is the emigrant support programme. Since it began in 2004, the programme has granted more than €250 million to 900 organisations in 51 countries. This year, the Department of Foreign Affairs will allocate €16.5 million under the emigrant support programme. Caring for the most vulnerable Irish emigrants remains at the heart of our programme. The majority of the funding, some 60%, is granted to the front-line welfare service providers working without elderly Irish emigrants and others who are marginalised. We support counselling and outreach services and projects that address social isolation and actively improve the well-being of Irish people.

Two weeks ago in England, I saw at first hand the vital work the emigrant support programme is funding. In Coventry, I visited a vibrant elders lunch club. In London and Birmingham, I heard the challenges facing young members of the Travelling community. I met groups providing dementia care and respite services, working with survivors of institutional abuse and supporting end-of-life care programmes. All of these programmes make a real difference every day and I pay tribute to all those who deliver them.

I also visited Páirc na hÉireann, the marvellous GAA facility in Solihull, home of the Warwickshire County Board. Indeed, I shared a flight with the Longford senior footballers coming home from London who nicked a one-point victory over London at the weekend. We all recognise the importance of the work the GAA does in support of our Irish emigrants. The Department's partnership with the GAA will remain key to our future engagement with the diaspora. In the US, we work with communities and a coalition of Irish immigration centres to support those impacted by changes in immigration policy. Earlier this year, we provided emergency grant assistance to support Irish families affected by the wildfires in California. I will continue to prioritise projects, such as those I mentioned, which place the welfare and care of our citizens abroad at their heart.

As well as caring for those in need, our engagement with the diaspora also forges valuable partnerships. Irish emigrants make contributions wherever they go, in politics, business and the arts. They are leaders in their communities and advocates for human rights, inclusion, peace and reconciliation. It would be remiss of me not to mention the chief of staff of the British Prime Minister who is from Macroom or the senator from Philadelphia whose dad left Glencolumbkille not so long ago.

We are blessed that many have also made remarkable contributions to Ireland. From the peace process to foreign direct investment, our diaspora has made a real difference. Its members have unique insights and perspectives, skills, access and influence. They have a voice to amplify what modern Ireland stands for. In London, I met a group of younger emigrants working in key sectors such as finance and technology. As I travel in my role, I look forward to meeting more of these young leaders because they have so much to offer their adopted homes and, very importantly, they are willing and committed to working with us. For our part, we have ensured the emigrant support programme continues to invest in projects that foster a sense of community, nurture our identity and culture overseas and deepen our trade, business and education links.

The programme for Government makes a specific commitment to facilitate emigrants looking to return home. The Department of Foreign Affairs-funded Returning to Ireland portal on the Citizens Information Board website has a wealth of practical and administrative information. I encourage anyone considering returning to visit, and, more important, Senators who may be in contact with those among our diaspora who are highlighting issues or obstacles to returning home, to have a look there first and see what can be solved.

We have heard the calls to make it easier to exchange driving licences and get a PPS number while outside the country. I chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental committee on the Irish abroad just last week. The civil society members briefed the committee on the challenges faced by returning emigrants, particularly from the United States, due to difficulty in accessing Irish driving licences. It was positive to hear from the Department of Transport that Australian and a majority of Canadian licences can now be exchanged. The committee is now considering how best to engage with key US states. This is something I am very keen on progressing during my time in my new role. I assure Senators of this commitment. We will look at other EU member states. Germany, for example, has had success with up to seven US states. Likewise, work continues in the Department of Social Protection to facilitate access to PPS numbers for returning emigrants. Updates on these and other challenges will be standing items on the agenda at future meetings of the committee.

Under the Global Ireland strategy, our diplomatic footprint has expanded greatly. We have over 100 embassies and consulates, as well as 94 honorary consuls. As we face greater risks from conflict and environmental challenges, the missions remain an important safety net for our citizens resident overseas and a focal point for our diaspora engagement. We all know the convenience and efficiency the passport online service has had for our citizens at home and abroad. This award-winning service is now available to 99.9% of applicants. On Monday, I visited the Passport Office in Balbriggan, where I met with some of the 500 workers who are making sure this service continues to run efficiently and demand for foreign birth registration of citizenship by descent, which has increased, is also matched. Prior to the Brexit referendum, foreign birth registration applications averaged between 5,000 and 6,000 per year. However, over 40,000 applications were received in 2024, with over 50% of those coming from Great Britain. As we all know, there has also been increasing demand from the United States in recent weeks.

I relish the opportunity to develop a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship with the global Irish. I know Senators share the same wish. I look forward to hearing their contributions. I want to get the message out that we want to engage with those in this House, those abroad and Senators' networks to make sure we can do the best for the Irish abroad in terms of their new lives abroad and, crucially, to make sure that every option is taken from a policy point of view to facilitate their return, should they choose to do so.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. I believe Seanadóir Joe O'Reilly is sharing time with Seanadóir Mike Kennelly.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, and thank him for his kind words. I am delighted he has been given this very serious brief. A few of the things I will say in a few moments will indicate how seriously I take this brief and the importance I attach to this Ministry. The Minister of State has immense experience, not only as an emigrant for a short while but also from his work at the Conference on the Future of Europe and his previous responsibilities. He brings great ability, communication skills and experience to the role. I am delighted that somebody of his calibre is dealing with this important brief.

Like the Minister of State, I spent a number of summers in London. It was a big deal in my day. The world was a different place but I used to spend the summers working in London among the Irish emigrants and did a number of months on one occasion that fitted me academically. I was doing a postgraduate course and was able to stay there. One particular summer extended for a long time. It was great, and I got to know the city. Then I did a long summer in America as well, where I met the emigrant community. Arising from the relationships and friendships I built as a local authority member and chair of a local authority and, indeed, since I came to this House, I have gone out on a number of occasions to meet the Irish associations in London and New York. Last year, I went out voluntarily to visit the Cavan association in New York and took part in its parade. All of that is important. It is amazing how much they value it.

This debate is important for three reasons. First, we have the bonds of kinship, the emotional ties and the friendship with our people abroad. They are our own people and we have those important ties. Second, the vast majority of the people who are abroad did not leave by choice. Most of them left out of economic necessity and we owe them. We have a debt to those people. In many cases, they sent the emigrants' remittances, which kept families in this country going. For that reason, I think we owe them. The third thing that is important is that they want to help us, and they can. They are ambassadors for us. They are good for developing our trade and business abroad, they are important for the tourism product and encouraging others to come and they create goodwill, which has been crucial to Ireland on many occasions, including in Europe during the Brexit phenomenon.

The emigrant support fund is very important and has been referenced by the Minister of State. It gives grants to organisations in the voluntary sector and provides advice and support. Since 2004, €250 million has been given to 850 organisations in 51 countries, of which 50% has gone to Great Britain and 30% to the US. Canada, Australia and New Zealand were the other main beneficiaries. This funding supports elderly emigrants, people to whom, as the Minister of State noted in welfare terms, life was not so good and who are now in difficult or marginal positions and need support. That is so important, but it also supports other emigrants, as well the GAA, prisoners and myriad people. That budget is increasing. Some €16,493,000 will be spent this year and in an important initiative, small grants of less than €30,000 will be provided. These can be more easily accessed by organisations. This is an important element of our support for our emigrants. It is good to see the funding improving and I know the influence of the Minister of State will see it improve again.

A new diaspora strategy is being developed and prepared. That is important. There is a two-pronged dimension to this. There are the old emigrants whom we all know, many of whom come from our own families or are neighbours and friends. They need welfare support. The new emigrants have a different need and many were in a much more fortunate position when they left. They had more skills but they need support too. They have a lot to give. That all has to be part of the new two-pronged strategy.A very important dimension, as the Minister referenced, are returning emigrants. We need people to come back to work in the specific sectors of construction, healthcare and education but also many other areas. We are all aware people who returned in the past had trouble with PPS numbers and driving licences. These people have also had trouble with insurance, which has been an issue. I hope that as part of the new strategy the Minister of State will, as part of his interdepartmental consultations, see his way towards alleviating these difficulties. It is so important that we encourage these people to come home, particularly as they are so badly needed. I do not believe that anyone in this House needs me to elaborate on that to any great degree. We encounter it every day in our work. The big item on the agenda at present is housing. There is a particular need for construction workers. We need workers in healthcare and education as well. To make it easier for people to come home, to encourage them and to make them welcome, this is a crucial dimension.

The time is coming when the Taoiseach will go to Washington to meet President Trump for the shamrock ceremony and so on. The question of the undocumented Irish arises in this regard. It was very apt that the Minister of State made very kind references to former Senator Billy Lawless. I, too, had the pleasure of serving here with Billy Lawless. He was just a wonderful man. As the Minister of State said, he was a wonderful advocate and he brought the whole issue of our undocumented into focus. In many instances, they are not able to come home for family funerals and so on. This is such an important thing. There is €4.5 million from the special fund going to the Irish organisations this year. Some €320,000 - the Minister of State can correct me if I am wrong - will be going to the Coalition of Irish Immigrant Centers in the United States of America. The issue of abuse victims and survivors abroad also needs to be kept in constant focus.

Ireland exports a huge amount of goods to the US. The value of these has soared to €72.6 billion. Exports to the UK are worth €78.8 billion. We need our Irish ambassadors and our diaspora out there batting for us in these very important economies, and they are willing to do it. It is important that they do so. As 17 March approaches, we take the opportunity to wish all our emigrants abroad a very happy St. Patrick's Day.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State. I congratulate him on his role.

The diaspora issue is especially close to my heart. As I understand it, a diaspora is the dispersion or gathering of a particular group of people from their original homelands to various parts of the world, especially in the world we live in now. This is often down to historical, political, social or economic factors. These displaced communities maintain a connection with their ancestral roots while also adapting to their new environments. The experiences of diasporic communities can be marked by a blend of cultural preservation and adoption as they navigate identity, belonging and the challenges of integrating in foreign lands. At the same time, the diaspora plays an essential role in fostering global networks, which in today's society and global upheaval is paramount. The Irish have travelled and settled in every corner of this world, and the Minister of State has nearly covered every corner already in his role.

Right now, my biggest fear is for the undocumented Irish in America who are participating in and promoting our diasporic communities and who are living in fear of deportation. I was one of those people. The network and the wraparound services that these diasporic communities give to their own are paramount and have to be supported. While I was living and working in America, one of the biggest incidents I recall, which is always in my head, was a profoundly good hurler who was integrated into the communities in New York. Unfortunately, he hit on hard times and died homeless in the subway. The one big story that stands out at this time is that the caregiver for President Donald Trump's mother emigrated to the US. This highlights the complexities of emigration and underscores the challenges faced by many who emigrate to and are working in the US.

Protecting undocumented Irish emigrants in America through the Irish diaspora can be approached by leveraging the collective influence, resources and networks of the diaspora. Given the figures, one could imagine that there are up to 100,000 who remain undocumented. The Irish diaspora, especially those who are now in the US, can leverage influence and advocate for reforms that would address the status of the undocumented Irish in America. I call on the Taoiseach to support our people on his trip to the White House to meet President Donald Trump and to urge that their contribution to US life be recognised and that they be granted access to the process of gaining citizenship.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I note that Senator Tom Clonan is not present on the Chamber. Is Senator Conway taking his-----

Joe Conway (Independent)
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I might just say a couple of things - not that I want to steal Senator Clonan's thunder. I have absolutely no idea what he was about to say or enliven the debate with.

There are two matters I want to address. They came up in the course of the Minister of State's contribution. The first is that he had the great fortune to share an aircraft with the Longford team returning to the west midlands. As a proud Longford man loaned to Waterford for the past 40 years, I have no doubt that he was richly entertained both in song and story by the aforementioned team.

On a more serious note, is the Minister of State in a position to look at the difficulties that have been reported to me by members of the diaspora around the world who may wish to have Irish passports but who were born and reared in the United Kingdom? When they go to establish their birth credentials in the form of the birth certificate from the United Kingdom Government, they have reported inordinate delays and difficulties in doing so. If the Minister of State could check the procedure that is used to give out British birth certificates to the children of diaspora who have had children and families in the United Kingdom, it would probably be a good day's work.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State is very welcome. I congratulate him and wish him well with this portfolio, which absolutely suits him very well in terms of the experience he has gained and the wisdom that he will bring to the role.

It is really important that we are having this debate in the week prior to St. Patrick's Day when practically all of our Ministers will be travelling abroad as ambassadors and representing Ireland on a very important day. So few countries in the world have this opportunity, and we are absolutely right to make the most of it with regard to the contacts we have and strong messages we need to bring to countries abroad and to bring their messages back.

When I think of the diaspora, I also think of the Kildare diaspora and some of the twinning groups we established in the county. that was all done on the foot of the work of people who have emigrated from Ireland. In Newbridge, we have one of the most successful town twinning programmes in the country, which is with Bad Lippspringe in Germany. That was started over 30 years ago by Eddie Lee and his sister Teresa Wall, who are both from rural Athy. Eddie now lives in Bad Lippspringe and is happily married to a German lady. They have a family together. As a result of that, we have had so many incredible connections, from football teams to different cultural groups that have had the opportunity to travel and to receive groups here. A soccer group is coming over for St. Patrick's weekend. Another group will be going out to Germany in June.I also think of Bruce Springsteen, whose family hails from my own town of Rathangan. His great grandmother, Ann Geraghty, was born in Rathangan in 1838, and we are now in the process of establishing a formal twinning arrangement with Freehold in New Jersey. The Mayor of Freehold and Bruce's first cousin Glen were here last July. We had a really interesting few days with them. It is really important that we celebrate our diaspora.

County Kildare is twinned with Lexington in Kentucky through the horse industry. That was started by the late, great Michael Osborne, a terrific ambassador for Ireland. He started that twinning 45 years ago, having spent some years on a stud in Kentucky. Indeed, on the very first formal twinning group, my father was Cathaoirleach of Kildare County Council and had the opportunity to go and represent Kildare, together with two of his cousins, Joe and John O'Loughlin. Thirty years later, I had the opportunity as Mayor of Kildare to go and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the twinning. That was just after my father passed away, so it was a very special occasion. Those linkages bring about great business opportunities, and there is nothing like people-to-people meetings for sharing experiences, culture and heritage and developing trade links. In the same year, I also had the opportunity as Mayor of Kildare to travel to New York to lead the Kildare delegation in the St. Patrick's Day parade. Meeting people - first, second and third generation - who hailed from Kildare was a very humbling experience. I know it is the same for every single county, but I was impressed by how much people wanted to reminisce and to stay connected with everything going on at home. The GAA has done an incredible job in that regard in terms of developing and supporting overseas teams, particularly those in the US, England and Australia. That is something that we certainly need to support and develop further.

The Minister referred to where he will be going next week. He is travelling to Tanzania, and I hope he has a very successful trip. I had the opportunity to visit Tanzania with a view to helping to support and develop Special Olympics there. There is an absolutely terrific programme in Tanzania. Irish Aid funded a project over three years to develop Special Olympics in Tanzania, Uganda and, at a later stage, Malawi. That was money very well spent. It was not a huge amount - in the region of €70,000 - but it really helped to support children, young adults and the families of people with intellectual disabilities. Unfortunately, there is still a real stigma in Africa about having a family member with an intellectual disability. I remember Tim Shriver, during a talk I attended, producing a small rope that had been used by a family in a small community in Tanzania. They had tied their son with an intellectual disability to a post in order that he would not wander. It is shocking to think that in this day and age such a thing would happen. This young man was found, through Special Olympics, and given the opportunity to learn and develop. In those programmes, with the help of Irish Aid, seed money was given to support young people with intellectual disability, through the healthy athletes programme, to grow fruit and vegetables for cooking and for selling on, so there was an economic value as well. Irish Aid does incredible work around the world. Given that the Minister of State is going to Tanzania, I wanted to share that story.

We must also think about all of our embassy staff around the world. During my time as head of delegation for the Council of Europe, and particularly during the Irish Presidency, I had the opportunity, together with my colleague Senator O'Reilly, to meet many of the excellent embassy staff we have around the world. They are an absolute credit to our nation. The work they do goes largely unseen but it is very important. It is even more important now in the context of the diplomatic efforts that have to be made around the world in relation to the development of peace and our ability to negotiate and deal with other countries in what are very difficult times.

We also have to think of our emigrants who are vulnerable. I refer to those who emigrated from our shores and found themselves vulnerable and in difficult economic situations. It is really important that we use the funds at the Department's disposal to help them and to continue to develop links with them. I also want to mention the undocumented in America. I know the Taoiseach will have an opportunity, as will the other eight Ministers who are travelling to the US, to speak on their behalf. That is a really important role in terms of trying to find a legal pathway for the undocumented and their families so that they

will be able to come home and go back.

We all know of so many individuals who have not been able to come home for the funerals of their parents, siblings or other family members because they are not legal in the US and are afraid to travel. These people have their own children in the US and who have developed a life for themselves, both economically and socially. It is so important that we continue our efforts in what is a volatile environment at the moment. Diplomacy is absolutely the way forward. I wish the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and all of the Ministers who are going to the US well. It is a difficult time. The eyes of the world are on Ireland, particularly after what we saw last week. We have seen some progress since then. It has been really good to see what has been happening in the UK, and I know the Taoiseach is travelling over there this evening. We certainly want to see a proper negotiated pathway for Ukraine. We want to see a ceasefire and the support that has been shown across Europe to continue. I wish all of our Ministers well as they go abroad. I also wish the Minister of State well and hope for continued success for all of our ambassadors across the globe.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Senator. I look forward to you extending an invitation to Bruce Springsteen to come and visit us here in the Seanad.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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Absolutely, I will do that.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I congratulate the Minister of State on his new portfolio. It is a really interesting role and is one that I know he is very interested in. I wish him the best of luck in it because it is important for everyone that he is successful.

The Irish diaspora is a unique feature of our historical and cultural identity and is crucial to our global influence and political future. Irish men and women have contributed massively to countries across the world with places like the United States, Australia, and Argentina, deriving much of their ancestry from Ireland. During the revolutionary period 100 years ago the Irish diaspora in America in particular was crucial in supporting our struggle for independence in political and material terms. Likewise, Irish-Americans played a critical role in our recent peace process and the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement.

The diaspora continues to be a vital and often under-appreciated part of the Irish nation, with many of our finest citizens having their roots abroad but coming from Irish ancestry. A good example of this is our national football team, many of whom were born abroad but chose to play for Ireland due to the strength of their heritage. However, we should recognise that the existence of our diaspora is a result of both historical and current injustice. In the nineteenth century it was British colonial rule that forced people to go abroad.Today, it is the housing crisis, poverty and inequality that drive people away. Thousands of young people continue to emigrate in search of better opportunities and brighter futures. Practically every family has a daughter, son or extended family member who has been forced to move to countries like Australia, Germany or the United States to find better jobs and more affordable rent. Nearly two centuries since the Famine, the fact that so many of our young people still feel compelled to move abroad in search of work and better living conditions is a glaring indictment of the State's failure to live up to the ideals of the 1916 Proclamation. The Government must ensure that this new diaspora is supported while living abroad, but also work to build an Ireland that these young people are able to return home to and thrive in.

It is worth recognising that Ireland's diaspora continues to give us a global voice beyond that typical of an island of 7 million people. With the Taoiseach and Tánaiste's upcoming visits to Washington, we must use Ireland's position and leverage to ensure that the plight of Palestinians is heard. They need to make clear that Ireland will not accept America's genocidal actions in the Middle East. Ireland's global diaspora, like that of the Palestinians, was the result of ethnic cleansing and forced migration. This shared experience gives us a unique perspective in the western world and we must not forget our responsibility to stand up for those people who are oppressed.

With the rise of fascism, particularly in the United States and Israel, the Taoiseach must take urgent action to ensure that Ireland and its diaspora remain a force for peace and human rights.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
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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.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I wish the Senator safe travels next week.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I wish to share time with Senator Cosgrove.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, and welcome him to the House. It is encouraging to hear his words about the diaspora and the plans for a new strategy in that regard. Our diaspora is a huge strength for Ireland. It is not just soft power; this is real power that we have, showing how well Ireland is regarded across the world. It is very important that we continue to support them and value them. I have had the pleasure of going to the EPIC Museum, the museum of emigration, many times which is a fantastic amenity. It is very important to have those focal points to celebrate those of us who have left our shores and emigrated. In 20 years' time, which will come around quickly enough, we will have the 200th anniversary of the Great Famine. It is important that we plan towards that. I am not sure if we have ever fully reckoned with that as a nation or recovered from it. Over 1 million people left Ireland at the time, so it is important to commemorate that.

Even in my own family, there has been a history of emigration. My grandmother was born in Boston in the thirties and then moved back. She and her then husband moved to England in the fifties and, in the sixties, they came back. Many of my aunts and uncles moved abroad during the recession of the eighties and they came back. Part of my coming of age - politically as well - was the last recession and seeing so many friends leaving. Many of them have now come back; some of them have not yet returned. I am always reluctant to use the term "brain drain" because I think people make decisions whether to leave or to stay and those are very well-thought-out decisions as well. It is striking that we now have the highest levels of outward youth immigration since 2015. As other Senators have alluded to, that is in part due to the housing crisis. We are losing a lot of valuable workers, such as teachers and gardaí in particular to other shores. We need to consider why that is. I wish to speak about the presidential election we have coming up this year. It was, of course, former President Mary Robinson who lit the candle in Áras an Uachtaráin, which is still lighting, as a symbol for the Irish living abroad. I was always struck by the words of former President, Mary McAleese, when she said that many of her neighbours who she grew up with could not vote for her when she was running for the Presidency. This is something we need to look at. As Senator Murphy rightly pointed out, the constitutional convention in 2013 voted 78% in favour of extending voting rights in presidential elections to citizens abroad and 73% to those living in the North as well. In 2017, a commitment was given to hold a referendum on this matter, but we have not seen action on it. I would welcome it and believe we need to look at this matter.

Equally, without a referendum, we could extend the period when citizens can return home to vote. It could certainly be looked at. More than 115 countries worldwide now provide some form of voting rights to their citizens, be it in presidential or parliamentary elections. It can be done through embassies and consulates abroad. It is, therefore, possible. Some Senators in this House have also been supported by our citizens abroad. We are unique in the NUI and Trinity College Dublin panels that some have this ability. If it can be done in this case, perhaps it can be done elsewhere too. One way of valuing our citizens abroad is to look at involving them in our presidential election as a start. Of course, our President represents all Irish citizens, be they living on this island or throughout the world. It would not just be symbolic but very meaningful and right that we would extend the franchise in future for that election. I believe it is a missed opportunity that it has not been done in advance of the election later this year.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis as a phost nua. When we think of our Irish diaspora, we often have a mixed idea of what that means. As can be seen from all the contributions here, there is no such thing as a typical Irish emigrant. All our families in Ireland, especially in the west, have been impacted in some way by emigration, for better or worse. Often, people are going to make a better life for themselves and are very happy in their new lives. As islanders, I suppose, emigration is an accepted part of our culture. Some people are happy to leave and this continues to be the case. They contribute to the economic and cultural wealth of their host countries.

Many of us spoke about ourselves. I have worked abroad many times and benefited greatly from it. Today, though, as we are talking about the Irish diaspora, it is also the case that others have not been so lucky and have become trapped by life. They are working harder than anyone else in the world just to stand still. Some of those people often dream of returning to Ireland. We can see that this is very rich and evident in some of the poignant songs, poems and stories in our own culture, particularly songs like Christy Moore’s “Missing You” or the many similar references in the Pogues' work about emigration and people unfortunately not being able to make it back, like in “Thousands are Sailing”. I do not want to call them the forgotten Irish, but many people who could not make it back to our shores have had hard stories to tell. They may have been survivors of childhood abuse or mother and baby homes and may often perhaps struggle with addiction that has impacted their lives and those of their families.

We know we are in the middle of a housing disaster. I pay tribute to Safe Home Ireland, which is a significant organisation based in rural County Mayo. It helps to make the dreams of returning to Ireland come true for many of our fellow Irishmen and Irishwomen who otherwise would not have been able to make it home. The organisation was established 25 years ago. The west and north-west of Ireland have been severely impacted by emigration before and after the Famine, and since, because of a lack of investment in the region and the consistent unbalanced regional development. Dr. Jerry Crowley was a GP in Mulranny in rural County Mayo and established Safe Home Ireland as an emigrant advice centre that offers housing assistance, information and advice on matters such as banking and social welfare entitlements for older people aged over 57 years currently living in rented accommodation abroad and seeking to return to Ireland after a lifetime abroad. When Safe Home Ireland was first founded, it catered chiefly to men who had been working in the building trade and then found themselves falling on hard times, wanting to but unable to make their own way home.

Throughout the years, this has continued to be the case for many people and many people avail of the service. I pay tribute to Safe Home Ireland. It is an approved housing body but it is managed in a different way to the typical approved housing body. It does not manage any of the properties on its own but works alongside other approved housing bodies and local authorities to find appropriate accommodation for its clients throughout the country. Significantly, all its clients apply to live here while residing abroad. Through its early works, Safe Home Ireland successfully highlighted the plight of people to such an extent that, within one year, it had achieved an amendment to the capital assistance scheme, which meant for the first time those living abroad could be considered for inclusion on social housing application lists.

Safe Home Ireland's first client made it home in 2000. He was an elderly man who had already been diagnosed with a terminal disease and Safe Home Ireland made it possible for him to die at home. He was home just six months later. By the end of 2023, Safe Home Ireland had directly assisted 2,280 Irish-born older people to secure accommodation back in their areas of birth through offers of housing from approved housing bodies and local authorities. While we do celebrate the diaspora and the cultural significance of our teanga and our cultúr and what we bring to the rest of the world, we can also make time to consider some of the lives of Irish people that are not complete until they can find their own way home to these shores. Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.

Frances Black (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for being here and offer him huge congratulations on his recent appointment. I think back to 2016 when we used to sit over there and have the craic on that side of the House, so it is great to see where he is today. I look forward to working with him on issues across his brief in the coming term.

I start by paying tribute to the millions of Irish people who live beyond the shores of our island, whether they emigrated recently or claim Irish heritage or ancestry, and to all who feel a meaningful connection to contemporary Ireland through our diaspora. The history of Ireland and its people has often been a story of migration, of leaving home to make a journey despite danger and uncertainty and to arrive at a faraway destination in the hope of having a better life. I have travelled down to Cobh many times. Seeing the stories of people who left many years ago, it must have been awful for them having to leave Ireland, especially during the Famine era, and after it, to head to another country not knowing what was ahead of them. It must have been quite a scary process to leave their family and never see them again.

We would do well in Ireland today to remember the lessons from our own history as we legislate to welcome those making dangerous journeys from afar and coming here to Ireland in search of a good life. We are all, rightly, proud of the contributions of Irish people living abroad across diverse fields, including, as my colleague mentioned, art and music, sport, global health, human rights and peace-building around the world. Undoubtedly, we all benefit here from our association with the Irish people and communities doing incredible work in our name around the world.

In this spirit, I pay tribute to our former colleague, the late Senator, Billy Lawless, for his tireless work on behalf of the Irish diaspora, especially those living undocumented in the United States. As an advocate in the United States, Billy Lawless exemplified the role and work of our diaspora. I again pay great tribute to his work. A cause particularly close to his heart was the extension of voting rights to Irish people living abroad in Irish Presidential elections. This is the issue I wish to raise today with the Minister of State as he assumes his brief. I am concerned it has fallen from the political agenda. In his response, can he give us an idea of the Government’s plan to advance this necessary change?

In September 2019, the Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill to allow for a referendum was introduced by the former Minister, Simon Coveney.A Government decision at that time was made to postpone change due to the uncertainty related to Brexit. However, we are now five years on from the Bill's introduction and four years since the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Will the Minister of State comment on that delay please? There is no doubt that Ireland is an outlier in western democracies in excluding our diaspora almost entirely from our democratic process. The fact that we allow elections to this House from abroad but for no other elected office in the State adds to the hypocrisy. We must ask the question: why should a Trinity College Dublin or NUI graduate be afforded access to voting from abroad while millions of others are disenfranchised? We owe our young people living abroad a better life here than that which drove them away By extending voting rights for our highest office we can begin a conversation that could bring them home. There have been countless reports, debates and expert analyses of the principle and the practice of allowing votes to be cast for the presidency from abroad. As we look out at a shifting and uncertain international landscape we should be looking for ways to immediately and proactively activate and engage one of Ireland's greatest resources, which is the millions of Irish people living as our diaspora who want a way to feel legitimately connected to their homeland. That includes my own two brothers who live away and who would love to be able to contribute.

Many of the logistic concerns regarding such an election are often cited in bad faith to justify the unacceptable status quothat somehow millions of distantly descended Americans with no connection to Ireland would overwhelm our domestic electorate. That really does a disservice to the Oireachtas and to the legislative process to claim that we, as Members, could not legislate for a fair and balanced system that allows participation from both within and outside by those with a legitimate connection to Ireland. I agree with my colleague Senator Harmon. We definitely need a referendum and then we can legislate. It is not rocket science. It is that simple; we have a referendum and then we legislate. The Irish Presidency has been an office held by individuals that represent the Irish people at home and abroad with distinction and it stands to reason that a representative of Irish people around the world should be voted for by all Irish people, independent of where they live.

The issue was of such importance to former President, Mary Robinson, that it was the sole subject of her presidential address to a special sitting of both Houses of the Oireachtas on 2 February 1995. In that address, which she entitled "Cherishing the Irish Diaspora", President Robinson stated: "The truest way of cherishing our diaspora is to offer them, at all times, the reality of this island as a place of peace where the many diverse traditions in which so many of them have their origins, their memories, their hopes are bound together in tolerance and understanding." I can think of no better way to honour those beautiful words than by extending the Irish people living abroad a role in choosing her successor. Our diaspora is not just a chapter of Ireland's long history. It is a modern relationship that exists today, with both obligations and commitments. I ask the Minister of State to comment on this and to bring this issue back to the Department as a matter of urgency.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber, congratulate him on his appointment and thank him for his generous assistance and support throughout his previous Ministry. I have no doubt he will make a great impact in his new role and I wish him well in that.

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner it is timely and proper that we celebrate and acknowledge our unique place on the world stage. We remember the many people who make up our diaspora, but also the handful of people working in our embassies and consulate offices across the world who provide unrivalled support. I had occasion last year on the death of a County Longford man who had lived in London all his life to contact the London consular office and they immediately linked in with the deceased man's sister and were there, on hand, every step of the way to help her make arrangements liaising with the morgue and police in London to get his remains back home. This is a man who might have died largely unknown in one of the biggest cities in the world but it mattered greatly to his family that the Irish State never forgot him and was there at the very end to support his family. That is something for us as a society and a country we can be immensely proud of.

Longford might be one of the smallest counties but we have consistently outperformed our neighbours and nowhere more so than in New York town. There we have one of the largest, most enthusiastic and committed expat communities. It would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to remember the late Mike Prunty who sadly passed away before Christmas. On news of his death the current president of the County Longford association New York, Pat Yorke, paid tribute and described him as a colossus and a legend in the Irish community in New York for many years. No person has ever done more for Longford causes than Mike Prunty. He opened his doors to many people, be they footballers out for the summer, or dignitaries for the annual Saint Patrick's day celebrations, or young people out for work. Pat Yorke spent his first two years in the United States working with Mike at an apartment block on Park Avenue. Mike Prunty's story was typical of so many immigrants. He was born in 1940 in Ballincurry, Drumlish. He went to New York in 1959 and lived with his sister in the Bronx. He got a job the day after arriving and worked every day until his retirement thereafter. As dedicated as he was to his work, he was equally immersed in the growing Irish community in New York and he leveraged his many connections in building management to secure jobs for many people arriving over from Ireland in search of a better life. The main criterion was that you had to be from Longford, but he did occasionally help people from Leitrim and Cavan so he was not totally committed to Longford it seems. He encouraged them to join Irish associations, namely, the Longford Football club and the Longford association. In the 133-year history of the Longford association he had the distinction in his time as president as being the longest serving member. I remember also his wife, Elizabeth Kenny, of Clontumpher, Ballinalee. They were married for 58 years. It was a wonderful love story and a great partnership. They had three children, Michael, Michelle and Kevin and their beloved grandchildren who took great pride in their grandfather's many achievements.

To bring the diaspora story full circle, I should also mention a young man called Danny McGee who sadly lost his life on the streets of New York in an assault in 2018 and who was a very good friend of Mike Prunty. It was Pat Yorke who took young Danny under his wing when he arrived in New York and helped him to get his first job. He was also on hand to assist Danny's family with the return journey of his remains when that unfortunate event occurred. Danny has not been forgotten in New York or Longford. Friends in the New York-Irish community rallied for a major fundraiser in his memory and raised a large amount that, in turn, helped to fit out a new day service centre for St. Christopher's services for people with special needs in Longford. It is a matter of great pride for our Longford community in New York that to this day a plaque celebrates and remembers young Danny on the wall of that building. That is something that he and his family can be immensely proud of.

We can be incredibly proud of our diaspora. They are people who brought the best values and principles of this great country to the four corners of the world. As a nation, we should never forget them and we can never do enough to celebrate and support them in all corners of the world.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I call Senator Gareth Scahill, who is proposing to share time with Senator P. J. Murphy. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State. It is timely to have this discussion with St. Patrick's Day coming up. I will reiterate what my colleagues have said. It is often said that the Irish are a global people, with our diaspora reaching every corner of the world. This vast network of individuals, bound together by shared heritage, represent one of Ireland's greatest strengths. Supporting and seeking support from the Irish diaspora is not just about maintaining these connections; it is about fostering a sense of community that transcends these borders. The diaspora plays a vital role in promoting Ireland's culture, values and interests abroad. Their achievements in business, politics and the arts elevates Ireland's reputation on a world stage. Equally, for those at home, the diaspora offers opportunity for collaboration, investment and mentorship.By engaging with the Irish communities abroad, we create pathways for innovation, economic growth and social development. However, this relationship is a two-way street and it is our duty to support those who have left Ireland, especially in times of need, and to ensure they always feel a strong connection to their roots. Through continued dialogue, partnership and shared traditions, we can strengthen this unique bond for generations to come. I look forward to being involved in the next diaspora strategy that the Minister of State is involved with to ensure our relationship with our diaspora is a dynamic one that meets the needs of and can adapt to evolving communities.

I want to highlight a couple of things. The Gathering was an unbelievable success in bringing our diaspora back. There is a lot of as yet untapped opportunity in that particular area. In my own community, there are the O'Connors, the last high kings of Ireland. Hugh O'Connor established the first settlement in Tucson, Arizona, in 1775. There are now more than 30,000 descendants of the O'Connors in that particular area. I was speaking to a friend of mine on the Beara Peninsula, who is currently preparing for a calling of the O'Sullivans and the O'Sullivan clans. Senator Gallagher is not here at the moment, but the Gallaghers currently hold the world record for the largest gathering of people with the same surname in one location. The O'Sullivans are hoping to beat that next year. This is to highlight osullivanclan.org. They are going for a world record attempt on the Beara Peninsula, in the Cork-Kerry area, from 30 May to 2 June 2026.

As well as that, my colleague, Senator Flaherty, said that Longford was also punching above its weight in terms of its diaspora and associations internationally. I would like to recognise the Roscommon Association in London. If the Minister of State needs a delegation, there is a Connacht Championship game coming up on 5 April that I would be able to organise a delegation from Roscommon to support.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Does Senator Scahill want the Minister of State to play in that as well?

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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It is not rugby. There is the Roscommon Association in London and a Roscommon association in New York. It is great to see that the emigrant support programme is there to support those organisations.

PJ Murphy (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, and thank him for his attendance today. I congratulate him on his appointment.

I take this opportunity to raise the subject of the largely forgotten Irish diaspora in Argentina. Between 1820 and 1920, and assisted in no small way by the Galway and Loughrea man, Fr. Anthony Fahy, more than 100,000 Irish migrants left for Argentina, predominantly from the midlands, Wexford and many parts of the west.

Irish migrants have been pioneers in the development of agriculture, the educational system, politics and culture in that country, where Irish Catholic migrants received a welcome like no other. Today, the approximately 650,000 Argentines of Irish descent retain strong cultural ties to their ancestral home through their music, sport, religion and agricultural practices. However, young Irish Argentines feel somewhat abandoned by their ancestral homeland when they attempt to travel here to study or work. Absolutely no preferential treatment is offered to these fourth and fifth generation members of the Irish diaspora. In a modern Ireland that is desperately short of labour, I would ask that we closely examine the potential to reach out to young Irish Argentines to return to their ancestral home to help to fill some of the vast gaps that we find in our labour market today. I would like to see this objective included in the new strategy for Ireland's diaspora.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I congratulate the Minister of State on his elevation and on his return to Leinster House. I am glad to see that he is involved in this area because he brings an energy with him in whatever area he works in. I look forward to seeing his progress as he works through this.

My interest in the diaspora is the people of my generation who left Ireland. I travelled on the boat. We travel abroad now and meet people who have their tablets and laptops, they are qualified engineers, accountants, architects, etc. For the people who left Ireland in my time, the only qualification they had was a shovel. Many of them did not have English. Quite a few of them were Irish speaking. The mailboat was the saddest, most horrible trip, and then there was the train from Holyhead to London. Many of these people lived in dingy bedsits. They lived tough, hard lives. It was said of an Irish immigrant in London that, if he met a good woman, he had some chance of making a life for himself, but many of them are now in their late 60s or early 70s living in the same bedsit. I remember people saving up for a month before they came home and buying new clothes before they arrived home. When they came home they created this impression that they were living great lives and had lots of money and that it was a great world. They went back then and lived tough lives until the next trip home. I recall one relative seeking out a relation who had gone to New York, who had been writing home for years about the wonderful life she had. They decided she was not going to come home so they had better go and see her as she was elderly now and might be dead soon. What they found was a woman living in abject poverty who had lived in abject poverty all of her life.

I spoke recently to the Irish ambassador, Martin Fraser, in London. He has tremendous empathy and willingness to go the extra mile to try to meet members of the diaspora who maybe never hit the headlines, who never made big money. Many of them never got home. Indeed, my colleague from Longford mentioned those who died. Frequently, we hear of an Irish person who died and who has no relative, nobody to see him or her off on that final journey. Communities come together and bring the bodies home. Indeed, our own Cathaoirleach does a lot of work in the United States with the diaspora. That is hugely important as well. As he will know, we did a trip with Billy Lawless, God rest his soul. At breakfast, there were about 300 or 400 people in the hall. It was a wonderful occasion. As we were leaving the hall, one of the delegation turned to me and said, "I would hate to be poor and to be Irish today", because you could not afford the breakfast. It was a fundraiser and cost big money to get into it. When we talk about the diaspora, let us also remember the ones that have been lost, the ones with nowhere other than a dingy bedsit to wait to die in. I will leave it at that.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the Minister of State, I wish to thank him for his work in this area. In fact, I was happy to be appointed by Micheál Martin in 2013 to the role of spokesperson for the Irish overseas and the diaspora. Fianna Fáil was the first political party to come up with the spokespersonship for that particular role. We developed a policy paper regarding the matter. The number one item was the appointment of a Minister of State for the Irish overseas and the diaspora, so I am delighted to see the Deputy Richmond as the successor to Jimmy Deenihan, my own county man, who was the first Minister of State in that position. It is a very important role and I know that he is doing a great job in it. Long may that continue.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach. From the outset, I did not say this in my opening because the Cathaoirleach was not present, I wish to make a personal commendation and pay credit to the Cathaoirleach as a person, as a Senator, as a Cathaoirleach and, indeed, previously as a Leas-Chathaoirleach for his work in this area, albeit not just in terms of developing initial strategies and his spokesmanship. Many of us perhaps do not see this but I have had the pleasure of travelling abroad with him and engaging with him on the issue of the Irish in America in particular. The work he does, often unseen and for little reward and with no obvious political gain, is really important work. It is an example to not just me in my new role as Minister of State with responsibility for this area, as every Member of the Oireachtas has a part to play in this. I thank the Cathaoirleach very much and wish him the very best for his upcoming trip to the United States. It is really important that we see him in the United States for St. Patrick's Day using his own personal network and the political network on behalf of our nation. In that, I am truly grateful.

Quite a number of points have been raised and I will try to address them as well as possible. Some replies might not be as substantive as some Senators would like in the ten minutes available to me, but I am more than happy to pick up thereafter. I will then make a couple of brief concluding comments. Senator Joe O'Reilly referred to access to insurance. One of the last things I was lucky enough to be privy to in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for insurance at the Department of Finance was the entry into the Irish market of Fastnet Underwriting, an insurance company that specialises in quoting for returning Irish emigrants and new arrivals from other jurisdictions who perhaps do not have the record or proverbial no claims bonus. It quotes at market rates and it is a great entry.

Senator Conor Murphy referred to the perception of a one-stop shop. That exists. It is already on the Citizens Information website and it is important.

Senator P.J. Murphy referred to the interesting case of the largest non-English speaking Irish diaspora in the world, which is in Argentina. I would say who we can count among them, but I do not want to get too political by referencing certain individuals. As a good example, however, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will travel next week to Argentina and there will be a discussion that is worth looking at.

We have benefited greatly - I will touch on migration more generally in a second - from the 55,000 Brazilians who have come to Ireland. Many of them have come through the relationship Brazil has with Portugal, which is clear, obvious and warm. The Senator might be on to something. During my time as Minister of State with responsibility for employment and labour market activation, I sought to bring new talent here. I had the misfortune of playing a rugby match once against the UCD veterinary hospital and I wondered why I was ended up so black and blue. Its entire pack was from Argentina. I still have the scars to show.

More seriously, Senator Kennelly and others, including Senator Daly - this is an area he and I worked on with Senator Black in a previous Seanad - raised the possibility of providing a legal pathway for the undocumented in the US and being a constant voice on their behalf in order that they do not feel voiceless. I have been in Irish centres and public houses in places such as Yonkers and south Chicago and spoken to people who are in despair because they missed family funerals and were never able to say goodbye. They walk out their front doors every day fearful about who might come up behind them. This is a group that our emigrant support programmes support carefully and specifically, and the matter should be at the front of any conversation held by Irish delegations travelling to the United States next week.

More broadly, within the emigrant support programme, a couple of areas were raised that are important to reference. Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about the plight of survivors of institutional abuse, many of whom live in Great Britain. Senator Craughwell spoke about emigrants from Ireland who lived hard lives and referred to the not unkind or unrealistic caricature of the navvy who went to work building roads and on building sites. I have had an insight into the survivors of institutional abuse, such as those who found themselves in the laundries. For many reasons, those people could not remain here and had to find a new life in Great Britain. They lived the hardest of lives, physically and emotionally. Many are now at a stage where they are getting older and have serious health complaints, largely brought about by their previous experiences. More than 40% of our survivors live in England alone. They are not the success stories. They do not live in wealth or prosperity, but they are the group we specifically support through the emigrant support programme. It is important that we continue to talk about them.

Senator Cosgrove referred to Safe Home Ireland, which is funded by the emigrant support programme. It is a key partner. It will continue to receive funding. I am absolutely happy to continue to work with it. The people the Senator described are not too different from those Senator Craughwell and, equally, Senator Flaherty spoke about. The tragic situations in which the Irish abroad come together in the toughest times to support the family, often those who are alone in experiencing tragedy many miles from home, were mentioned. I will not volunteer to go to Ruislip with Senator Scahill. He certainly does not want to see me on a football pitch.

Senator Conway raised the issue of the foreign births register. For context, its turnaround time has gone from approximately five years during the Covid-19 pandemic to eight or nine months. That is impactful. The situation he referred to relates to accessing documents from our colleagues in the British Government. I am more than happy to take that up with their ambassador or my counterpart.

Senator Scahill also raised the important topic of our new diaspora strategy. For the information of the House, the current strategy will expire at the end of this calendar year. We will launch a new one in April. This is the consultation we have started already. I hope we will be able to bring all Oireachtas Members into that discussion, and the online portal will be available for it.

Votes abroad, generally and more specifically the references to the planned and promised referendum on foot of the constitutional convention referred to by Senators Andrews, Murphy, Harmon, Black and Cosgrove, are important. This is a debate that will happen in due course. It is already happening. We have to separate what is planned and what is possible. Some countries offer general votes abroad for specific seats for the members for the diasporas, be it in respect of the French or Italian senates or American citizens who can vote abroad because they still pay taxes in that country. One of the more striking communities in Ireland we see voting in large numbers are Moldovan nationals. There are more than 30,000 Moldovans resident here. That is out of a population of more than 1 million. The commitment was made and the delays are quite obvious. There have been delays with quite a number of referendums that were promised. Ultimately, the pandemic knocked the timelines for everything backwards. We were able to hold two referendums in the lifetime of the previous Government, both of which were defeated. I was all set to be the director of elections for the referendum on the Unified Patent Court, which will excite hearts and minds across the jurisdiction, I have no doubt, but, unfortunately, it fell victim to the legislative backlog.

We are reflecting on how to run the referendum relating to the matter in question. One thing that is crucial with referendums - Senator Black will be sick of hearing me say this in many different contexts - is that we do not hold them for the sake of holding them. If you believe in the issue, you need to hold a referendum on it and be in a position to win. That is the political decision that needs to be taken by all of us, but especially the Government of the day. That is the decision we need to make. I will continue to be open to working with the Senators and to discuss the matter more widely.

I think Senator Harmon and I are roughly the same age. She may be a few years younger than me. She is definitely a heck of a lot more youthful and energetic. It was striking when she spoke about our generation at the time of the crash who left in desperation. They went to London, or more often to Canada and Australia because those countries were not touched by the financial crash in the same way as many other jurisdictions were. Let us be frank. This is the elephant in the room. Getting into America is much harder, not only today but also for the past 20 years, than it was perhaps for the generations who went before. We are in a clear position that many of that generation have come home. I am of the age and have been delighted that many of my friends have been able to come home. They have brought their partners and spouses and have been here to care for elderly parents. Some have been able to raise families here. They brought back the skills they picked up abroad. That should be the case for everyone who wants to come home. This is the crux of the matter. That is the situation I want to have at the end of these few years.

Senator Craughwell painted a vivid depressing picture of the type of Ireland many people left in the past. Senator Harmon touched on the Famine, which is a deeper generational institutional experience we perhaps need to discuss. I spent the weekend with my 84-year-old uncle in England. He left Ireland straight after school never intending to come back. He has not come back. He married a fellow immigrant to England. They have lived their lives there, with no chance of ever coming home. That will not always be the way. I do not believe people are going to Australia for better jobs. The jobs are here, but we have societal issues we need to address. I will not hide from that.

I will use every opportunity to make the following important point. We are a migrant people. We have experience of emigration. In the past decade or two, we have started to experience the absolute wonder that immigration brings to our country. When we frame our domestic policies on inward migration, whether they relate to people seeking asylum, other forms of refuge or better professional lives or people coming for love or family or to study, we must use our shared experience to make sure that the Ireland we have today is open, welcoming, tolerant and allows those who want to come here to feel they are part of every aspect.I thank all the Senators for their contribution. I look forward to engaging with all of them in the coming months and years. They can rest assured that in the time that I hold this office, I will be absolutely committed to developing a new diaspora strategy that is fit for purpose and reflective of the wishes of the people of Ireland, both home and abroad.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State and all the Senators who contributed to the debate.