There is a commitment in the programme for Government to the Government facilitating the return to this country of 70,000 emigrants. Irish citizens are returning from America in particular but, unfortunately, on their return their US driver's licence is valid here for only one year, following which they must apply for a learner permit, undergo 12 lessons, and then only drive when accompanied by a driver with a full licence, all of which, in addition to insurance cover, is costly. This is stopping people returning to rural Ireland to create employment. It is possible for a person here who holds a Taiwanese or South Korean licence to exchange that licence for an Irish licence, yet Irish citizens returning from America with US driver licences cannot exchange them for an Irish licence.

I thank Deputy Scanlon for raising this issue, which some of his colleagues have also raised with me. We recently commissioned Indecon to compile a report on all of the potential barriers for people returning home in terms of driver licences, insurance costs, life insurance, health insurance and a range of other issues. Yesterday, I had sight of that draft report. I will bring it to Cabinet, following which it is hoped we will have an opportunity to debate it in this House. It is a really good report and it deals with the issue raised by Deputy Scanlon and with a range of other issues for people who want to come home in terms of settling in, finding employment and setting up business here. We want to encourage as many people home as we can. Ireland has the fastest growing population in the European Union, with at least an additional 50,000 people each year. It is for this reason we need a planning framework but we also need to ensure that they can come home and settle in without any disadvantages.