Third Edition Policy Proposal for Irish Overseas and Diaspora

Second Edition Policy Proposal for the Irish Overseas and Diaspora

First Edition Proposal for the Irish Overseas and Diaspora

To see more about Senator Daly’s continuing work on behalf of the Irish overseas, please click here.

Some Key Proposals of the Policy:

• Minister for the Irish Overseas and Diaspora: Appointment of a Minister for the Irish Overseas and Diaspora as part of an existing ministry with the focus of engaging with the global Irish community as well as to stimulate economic, technological and cultural advances in Ireland
• Voting Rights: Voting Rights for citizens of the Irish Nation outside of the state
• Citizenship: Expand the rights to Irish Citizenship
• Honorary Consulars: The appointment of more ‘Honorary Consulars’ globally as advocates of Ireland and the global Irish community

Senator Daly will continue to consult organisations involved with the Irish Overseas and Diaspora with the intention of improving and adding to the policy.

“I would ask members of the global Irish community to read the policy and to contact me with ideas they have as to how Ireland can engage with those Irish citizens overseas and the Irish Diaspora.  This policy is only the beginning of a new engagement with our citizens outside the state, our citizens overseas and those of Irish heritage.  This will be an on-going process and we aim to continue to expand and improve the policy as new ideas come from our global Irish community.”

“It is Fianna Fáil’s belief that all parties should have both a spokesperson and a policy for the global Irish community.  We also believe that all parties should commit to appointing a minister for the Irish Overseas and Diaspora at the next general election.”

US Visas and Immigration

With 40 million of the 70 million global Irish community living in the United States, the US represents Ireland’s single largest Overseas community.

Senator Daly has strongly advocated on behalf of the American-Irish Community in an ongoing campaign to provide visas for the 50,000 undocumented Irish in the United States. The status of many Irish who emigrated to the US over the decades remain without being regularized, and as a result of their current undocumented  status they are unable to access government services or indeed travel home to Ireland.

Senator Daly has been working with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and former Congressman Bruce Morrison the creator of the Morrison Visa to try and get a new US Visa for the Undocumented Irish

Irish Senator Mark Daly, Congressman Paul Ryan and Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform President Ciaran Staunton, at Ryan’s office on Capitol Hill in May 2013

For a look at the ongoing developments in this area click here.