Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to developing our bilateral migration arrangements with the United States, including finding a solution for our undocumented citizens. During their St Patrick's Day meetings in the United States, including with President Obama, the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs outlined how, in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, the Government has been actively pursuing a bilateral approach aimed at facilitating greater legal migration between the two countries. They recalled the Government's three-pronged strategy: a reciprocal working holiday agreement, a new bilateral arrangements to provide reciprocal long-term E3 working visas and a solution for our undocumented citizens in the United States.

The working holiday agreement, which the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin, signed in Washington last September enables post secondary Irish and US students or recent graduates to work and travel in each country for up to a year. The provision of long-term working visas, similar to the E3 visas available to Australian citizens, has already formed the basis for detailed discussions with senior members of Congress over the past 12 months. The inclusion of Ireland in an expanded version of the E3 programme would provide extensive new opportunities for Irish people to work in the United States and help ensure that a new generation of undocumented Irish does not develop. The Taoiseach raised the issue in his St. Patrick's Day meeting with President Obama, as did the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin, in his meeting with Secretary of State Clinton and discussions with Senator Charles Schumer and Congresswoman Zoë Lofgren, the respective chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives sub-committees on immigration.

Our efforts in these areas in no way dilute the Government's strong commitment to finding a solution for the undocumented, whose welfare remains a key priority. At the same time, the Government will continue to work to facilitate greater legal migration between Ireland and the United States.

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