Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 June 2013
19. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a case in the USA where the Irish International Immigrant Centre turned over a young Irish immigrant to the US immigration authorities for a minor infringement of their visa conditions; and if his Department has investigated this matter. [30775/13]
View answerSince 2009, the Irish International Immigrant Centre in Boston (IIIC) has been accredited by the US State Department as a visa sponsor for the J1 Irish work and Travel 12 month programme. The terms and conditions under which the IIIC participates in this programme are determined by its contractual relationship with the State Department. The IIIC provides legal and welfare services to immigrants from Ireland and other countries, and advocates for the rights of immigrants and changes to US legislation to enable immigrants to become permanent residents and US citizens. Following the incident referred to by the Deputy, our Consul General in Boston met with the Executive Director of the IIIC and requested a full report on the incident. I note that the IIIC has since issued a public apology for the manner in which the incident was handled.
While my Department has expressed its concern to the organisation, it is important to recognise that thousands of Irish citizens have received considerable direct assistance over the past two and a half decades from the IIIC.
Through our Consulate in Boston we will continue to work with the IIIC to ensure that the needs of Irish citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, are recognised and addressed be met.
