Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the support of the Deputy, his party and all Members of the House. It is important that an all-party and all-Oireachtas view be given on this issue. Our efforts are honed in on the legislation proceeding through the Congress. While we should not deviate, other issues and scenarios have been discussed. However, given the small window of opportunity on the legislation, we should not take our eye off the ball.

The US has a number of bilateral trade agreements with other countries. Tacked on to those, such as the US-Australia trade agreement, is an element of allowing people to enter the US but it does not take into account undocumented Australians already living in the US. Any effort we would make in respect of a bilateral agreement would not address the people we want it to deal with. The agreement may deal with other issues.

I recently met a congressional delegation including Congressman Jim Walsh. The Deputy may remember the recent major Irish-American separate agreement on immigration, the Walsh visa programme relating to the six Northern and six Border counties. That visa waiver programme has worked to a certain extent but not as well as it could have due to Ireland's economic climate. It does not address undocumented people in the US.

I asked our embassy and consulates in the US to treat this matter as an absolute priority and I assure the House we will continue to do so. While we will also examine other options, I strongly suggest we should continue our representations more or less exclusively in respect of the legislation going through the Congress.

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