Has the Minister made any representations to the United States Government in relation to an amnesty for the many thousands of Irish people who have emigrated to the US as a result of the lack of ability of this Government to create jobs at home? Will he try to create an atmosphere in America in favour of an amnesty for so many young Irish people who are there without work permits?

The number of people in the United States illegally can only be guessed; but the Deputy should not pursue too far the year in which they emigrated, otherwise he might be in for a shock. It is not possible for the United States to grant an amnesty for Irish people there; it would have to be a global amnesty. It is a matter which forms part of a Bill before Congress at the moment. Other Bills containing clauses about an amnesty have fallen and did not become law. I do not know whether the current Bill will become law, but I understand it contains a clause concerning an amnesty. It could not be an amnesty for Irish people since it would have to be a global amnesty. Immigration laws must apply globally. A total of 120,000 emigrants are allowed under existing legislation but they are not classified according to nationality, except in so far as there is a ceiling on the number from any one country. Otherwise people are classified according to their abilities, their marital status and so on, rather than by nationality.

Surely the Minister should have some estimation of the number of Irish people, especially young people, who are in the US without work permits. This type of emigration did not take place under a Fianna Fáil administration. It has been taking place since 1982 as a result of the inability of this Government to create jobs at home. The Minister is taking no steps whatever even though we have great influence in the USA——

The Deputy cannot make a speech.

The situation is that emigrants to America have no say whatever in this House——

The Deputy will have to find another occasion if he wants to make a speech.

Would the Minister please make approaches to the United States Government to make provision for the many young Irish people who are in America at present? Indeed there can be a special concession given to Irish people in particular because we have great clout in the United States Congress and the Minister knows that.

I know, as I said to a previous question from Deputy De Rossa, that certainly Irish people made a contribution to the building up of the United States but so did many other countries. Indeed it is one of the strengths of the United States that so many countries contributed. As the Deputy should be, but possibly is not, aware, the major problem occasioned by illegal immigration to the United States is not that from Europe——

From Mexico.

Exactly. One must take all of these factors into account. It must be remembered that one is dealing with a Congress, a Parliament, that must look at a global position, and not just from the point of view of any one country. I would not like to say I am absolutely sure I am right here but I do not believe there is any immigration law in the United States that lays down a quota or a special position for immigrants from a particular country.