Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The welfare of the undocumented Irish in the United States is an issue of the highest priority for the Government. I continue to raise our concerns in all my dealings with key figures in the US Administration and Legislature, including during a wide-ranging discussion which I had recently with the new US Ambassador.

In the period since the mid-term elections, I have written to a number of senior US legislators to congratulate them on the outcome of the elections. In doing so, I have taken the opportunity to emphasise again the Government's deep interest in the issue of the undocumented. Our ambassador in Washington is also active in highlighting our concerns in his ongoing contacts with the incoming congressional leadership. The consulates are also active on this issue at state level.

I travelled to New York after the elections, where I discussed the prospects for immigration reform with a range of contacts there. I met again with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, ILIR, an organisation that is most effective in promoting awareness within the US of the Irish dimension to the undocumented issue. This was the third in a series of meetings that I have had with the ILIR since September and it provided a valuable opportunity to review the position following the elections.

I look forward to a further intensification of the Government's efforts on behalf of the undocumented in the period ahead, in particular with key members of the incoming Congress. Overall, my initial assessment is that the recent elections have given a boost to the prospects for reform, though the issue of comprehensive immigration reform remains difficult and divisive both in Congress and in the United States generally.

In view of this, I greatly appreciate the firm commitment to a comprehensive and sympathetic solution that Senator Kennedy, Senator McCain and others continue to promote. Although the existing legislative proposals will lapse with the outgoing Congress, we can anticipate renewed examination of this important issue in 2007. In particular, I welcome the intention of Senators Kennedy and McCain to bring forward proposals in the incoming Congress that will reflect the approach they have long promoted. The recent reiteration by President Bush of his commitment to comprehensive reform is a further positive contribution to the debate.

The Government's efforts on behalf of our undocumented citizens in the United States will continue to be accorded the highest priority in the critical period ahead.

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