I wish everybody a happy Christmas, especially all the staff who had to put up with me so much in the past year. I thank them and all colleagues for their work and wish them well. In the new year perhaps the Seanad might take a leadership role on the basis that those in the other House will be very much focused on the forthcoming general election. The Dáil will be dissolved, while the Seanad will continue for a period.

At this time of year, it is important that we think about the undocumented Irish in America. I say this as a member of the Ireland America Association in the Houses.

The Republicans have torpedoed President Obama's initiative to grant citizenship to the parents of children born in the United States. It will not happen. A visa waiver scheme is applied, in many cases to Mexicans and we have not benefited in the same way. Under such a scheme, undocumented Irish in America could leave and re-enter the United States without being banned for five or ten years. We all have family members in our constituencies who have not been home for five to 20 years, even for family funerals and at Christmas we think about this. As a nation, we must do much more to up the ante. The eye will come off the ball in the Dáil after Christmas. Will the Leader petition the US Government on behalf of the Seanad to provide waivers to facilitate undocumented Irish to come home without fear of being unable to re-enter the United States while a more permanent arrangement is made for them? This is a very sad time for families here and in the United States who are unable to see their loved ones. It is a failure of the nation that all Governments, including the current one, have not secured the same benefits and use of the waiver scheme from which the Mexicans have managed to benefit greatly. There is nothing to prevent the House from passing a motion on the issue and the Leader, and perhaps the Cathaoirleach, from taking the initiative and raising it up the US agenda on behalf of the people.

I join other Senators in wishing everybody a very happy Christmas. Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise orthu go léir, including the staff in the office and all the ushers who help us throughout the year, the Leader who has led by exemplary example and made many changes to the Seanad and the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I welcome Deputy Tom Barry and his daughter, Fiona, to the Seanad. I know all the help daughters give to dads and children give to mums. Schoolchildren were here earlier. Senator John Crown is outside launching the regulations to implement the ban on smoking in cars with children. The Bill which was initiated in the Seanad will do much for the health of the nation.

We have another day to go. Today, three Deputies are to appear in the Special Criminal Court offering themselves as bail sureties for a man arrested on IRA charges and in possession of explosives. While I will not mention their names, we all know who they are. Two of them spent an hour in prison wasting Garda time last week. An Garda Síochána is trying to do a job and the elected Members of the Dáil should help, not hinder, it.

Well said.