We will now go into private session. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Business of Joint Committee
The joint committee went into private session at 9.04 a.m. and resumed in public session at 9.08 a.m.
With regard to the detention of children on the US-Mexico border, I put out a statement the other day stating that I would seek the approval of the committee to send a very strongly worded statement to the chargé d'affaires in the American Embassy in Dublin expressing our outrage and condemnation of the practice. There has been a change with the US President's executive order last night, but we should still communicate with the embassy outlining our concern that this happened and for the children who are still in detention. With approval of the committee, we will contact the chargé d'affaires today outlining our concern about what happened and expressing our concern about what is proposed regarding the children who are still being held in detention and the fact that the holding of these children in detention is totally unacceptable to us and should be to any civilised society. Is that agreed? Agreed.
We referred earlier to the request from Crosscare for a meeting with the committee and asking the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, to meet us with regard to the Indecon report and returning emigrants. One issue of concern to all of us - it is an issue on which we receive representations from constituents - is the position of the undocumented Irish in the United States. At a time like this, when immigration is in the media and getting a lot of attention, quite understandably, we still have worries about the position of our own undocumented Irish. The Government, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the officials in the embassy and the consulates throughout the United States are working to try to achieve progress in respect of immigration reform.
I seek the approval of the committee to write to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade urging him again to ensure that every effort continues to be made to assist the undocumented Irish and asking for a report on the up-to-date position on negotiations with the US Administration outlining whether immigration reform is likely to occur in the near future. Is that agreed? Agreed.