Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The St. Patrick's Day period provided the Taoiseach and me with a particularly valuable and timely opportunity to convey our views on this issue to key figures on Capitol Hill and in the US Administration, including President Bush.

During our visit, we had a detailed discussion on the way ahead with Senator Kennedy, and expressed deep appreciation for his continued strong leadership on this issue. He told us he is encouraging members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to revisit the positive bipartisan Bill passed by that committee last year during the life of the previous Congress. This was a Bill that included key elements of the Kennedy-McCain approach. If enacted, it would transform the quality of life for undocumented Irish people in the US. Senator Kennedy considers this approach is the most likely to secure the bipartisan support required.

The Taoiseach and I also emphasised the high priority we attach to this issue in our meetings with President Bush, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy, Senator Clinton and the House of Representatives Friends of Ireland Group. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Agriculture and Food also had a useful meeting with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform in New York last week.

We were most encouraged by Speaker Pelosi's firm declaration at the American Ireland Fund Dinner on 14 March that she will work hard to ensure a comprehensive immigration reform Bill is passed in 2007. This very positive statement was repeated to us in our private meeting with her and was warmly welcomed as a significant development by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. President Bush also reiterated to us his continued support for a comprehensive solution to the problems facing the US immigration system. He fully appreciates the Irish dimension to the issue and assured us of his intention to work with Congress to find a bipartisan solution in the critical period ahead.

At the same time, it is clear that securing the necessary bipartisan consensus on this complex and divisive matter remains a considerable challenge. There is currently a high degree of awareness on Capitol Hill of the Irish dimension to the undocumented issue. Our ambassador in Washington is extremely active in highlighting our concerns, and I look forward to a further intensification of the Government's efforts on behalf of the undocumented.

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