Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I cannot give Deputy Clare Daly any more details of the plans around Mr. Obama's visit to Ireland because I do not have them. When the American President pays a visit to any country, members of his Administration travel there beforehand to discuss with the authorities the actual detail of where the President, and in the case of this visit to Ireland the First Lady, will travel.

The event to be held in Dublin city centre has not yet been agreed because the US personnel involved must look at the sites in question and give their views on the range and extent of the numbers which might turn up. Accordingly, I cannot give the Deputy the finalised detail because it has not yet been agreed.

I raised the matter of the undocumented Irish with the President and his Administration in the White House on St. Patrick's Day. As Deputy Clare Daly is aware, politics in Washington has changed with the Democratic Party in control of the US Senate while the Republican Party now has control of the House of Representatives. Accordingly, the much sought after comprehensive legislation to deal with immigration in the US will not happen in the short term.

Arising from recent events, however, a package of enforcement measures concerning homeland security in the US may have to be brought forward soon. If that were the case, the process will begin in Congress which will make a swathe through it.

The appropriate time to make an amendment to that would be some time during that process and the appropriate amendment would be, in Ireland's case, to seek access to the E3 visa system, which is a renewable visa system. This would provide some relief and release of pressure in respect of undocumented Irish people. Senator Schumer from New York will be the author of whatever documentation goes through that process.

When in New York last week, I met with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, which is well aware of the process by which legislation and amendments in that regard go through Congress and the Senate. In that regard, Senator Schumer is in a powerful position. He has much contact with the Irish community and as such is well aware of the extent of the problem. Given the scale of this problem in the United States, of which the Deputy is aware, the legislators are encountering difficulties in terms of putting through Bills that would give legislative effect to comprehensive reform. I met a number of undocumented Irish people, some of whom have been in the United States since before 9/11 and have a degree of difficulty. They are members of the community who pay their social security and taxes and who, in most cases, have families and businesses they look after but they are undocumented, a position not dissimilar to that of many other nationalities. Those experiencing problems range from people who recently went to the United States and have over-stayed their welcome to those who have been there for much longer periods and are also having difficulties. In that regard, the Deputy can take it the Government is focused on this issue and that on each occasion a Minister or Minister of State goes to the United States he or she will seek to build up relationships on behalf of the Government and, therefore, the people of Ireland with Democratic and Republican personnel. Whatever change has to be made will have to go through Congress and the Senate and this will require connections and discussions on a regular basis.

As regards the other global matters raised by the Deputy, while the issue is not down for specific debate the question of global terrorism has affected us here, either through direct deaths resulting from 9/11 or the consequences and impact of global terrorist activities in other parts of the world.

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