Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 296: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his position on the granting of an amnesty for illegal workers in this State is consistent with his position on the granting of an amnesty to Irish persons working illegally in the United States. [12504/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 297: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider the granting of a one time amnesty to regularise illegal workers in this State; and if he will consider such an amnesty as part of the Immigration and Residence Bill or as a separate part of his overall immigration reform package. [12505/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 297 together.

I do not propose to grant an amnesty either as part of the Immigration and Residence Bill or as a separate part of an overall immigration reform package to those who are illegally in the State. For several years now we have been operating one of the most liberal economic migration systems in Europe, with large numbers entering the State legally for employment purposes. In addition, we are one of the few states in Europe to have granted full access to our labour market on enlargement of the EU to citizens of the new member states.

Amnesties and regularisations, in my view, undermine the system of legal migration by rewarding those who have no legal basis for their residence in the country. Also, they reward those who abuse our asylum system. It is an integral element of any asylum system that those who are not in need of protection should be returned to their countries of origin.

International experience is that amnesties have a "sponge effect", that is, an attracting effect, which brings more illegals into the country to avail of them. Amnesties or regularisations are never once-off. They send out wrong signals by saying that there will be another amnesty or regularisation along soon, which in turn encourages more illegal immigration.

It is a matter for individual states to determine whether they grant amnesties to persons who are illegally present in their jurisdictions. As the Minister charged with responsibility for the Irish immigration system, I would not support calls for such an amnesty in the Irish immigration system for the reasons outlined above.