Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for his comments. The question of the undocumented Irish is a very difficult and long-standing issue. There are real hardships and human consequences to the inability, thus far, to regularise people so that they can come and go. People miss funerals of family members and are not in a position to attend other functions one would hope they could attend. This tells a tale of upset, worry, concern and anxiety for people on both sides, both the families at home and those located in the United States who are not in a position to return because of their status. We have all attended county association meetings at which part of the night has been taken up as almost a constituency clinic to discuss the issue with people with this problem who want to know if there is any way the situation can be resolved. We are all aware of many genuine and heart-rending stories and know the families and individuals concerned. I accept what the Deputy has to say in this regard and the impact it has on people.

For that reason, we must continue to put the case patiently in the corridors of power within the United States at all levels. However, we must do so in a way that is respectful of the fact that this is also a major issue for Americans. There is no lack of goodwill towards the Irish people and there will always be a recognition that they have contributed positively. Those who have gone to the United States have done well and what they have achieved through their progress, efforts, hard work and sense of community down the years reflects well on their country and families. However, in the current circumstances, it is important we understand we cannot make demands in this regard. We need to empathise with and understand the American point of view in terms of the problems immigration causes generally in the United States and the tensions that can arise because of that, particularly in the context of significant unemployment in many parts of the States affected by the recession.

There is, however, an enlightened majority of people — President Obama is one of these — who understand the positive contribution immigrants have made to the narrative of the United States. They have made it the country it is, and the Irish are a particularly well respected ethnic group in that context. Therefore, we on both sides of this isle must work with the Administration and Congress to find a solution that is acceptable to them, to Americans and to those of us who would like to see our diaspora regularised as quickly as possible. There is a way forward and a solution can be found if we continue to adopt the right approach and are conscious of their difficulties. If we proceed on those lines, there are prospects. There are no guarantees the situation can be resolved, but it is a serious domestic issue within US politics. There are many people of goodwill on both sides in positions of power who are interested in trying to devise a way forward but they have not been successful to date.

With regard to the Middle East, the issue did not arise specifically in my discussions with President Obama in the limited time we had, although the questions of Afghanistan and climate change did. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Micheál Martin, had a long discussion with Secretary of State Clinton on those matters on the previous day. Perhaps the Deputy should put a question to him to elicit her official response. One point President Obama made in my meeting with him was that he characterised Ireland as a beneficial presence on the world stage. He recalled a story told by George Mitchell, that when talking to Palestinians he referred to progress on Northern Ireland, notwithstanding the 800 year duration of the problem, only to elicit the response that by contrast with the Middle East that was such a recent conflict.

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