Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Defending the rights of Irish citizens abroad is part of the remit of my Department. There is nothing more I can do to defend the rights of undocumented Irish in the United States. I have been in the United States six times in the past nine months, albeit on other business on some occasions but I raised the issue of the undocumented Irish every time. Last week, I had a meeting with former President Bill Clinton on overseas development aid issues and the role of the Clinton Foundation. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, is undertaking such work with the former US President in Mozambique. I raised the issue of undocumented Irish people in America with Mr. Clinton and received an undertaking that he would use his influence in whatever way he could in this regard.

On one of my previous visits to America I met a person who had obtained a green card and works with a computer company in an immigration centre in Boston. He suggested we should create a database of Irish people who find themselves in this situation. I suggested in turn that we would provide funding for the compilation of such a database. Most of the immigration centres said it was not feasible, however, because people would not come forward fearing they might be pinpointed in future. I accept that argument. The figure for undocumented Irish people in America is somewhere in the region of 25,000 to 50,000 at the outer limit. The US Administration says it is approximately 5,000 but we believe there are 5,000 alone in a city such as San Francisco.

This issue runs across party lines in the Oireachtas and involves all Members, including Independent Deputies. In our constituency offices we come across families who say their sons or daughters cannot come home for an important life event.

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