Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have to recognise when circumstances change. Anybody addressing this question a year or more ago would certainly have said that comprehensive immigration reform was largely off the agenda in the United States. It is back on the agenda now and we must recognise that. It has been put back on the agenda because it was an issue in the United States presidential election and President Obama has made a number of very clear statements about it in the aftermath of that election. On the back of that, it is appropriate and right that we pursue this matter in the interests of the undocumented Irish living in the United States.

I am aware of the statement that was made by Senator Marco Rubio. The key people on the Republican side with whom we are in touch include Senator John McCain, to whom I have spoken directly, Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Rubio, Senator Jeff Flake, Congressman Paul Ryan and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner. We have also been discussing this issue with Senator Shumer, Senator Durbin, Senator Menendez, Senator Bennet from the Democratic side, Senator Leahy and Senator Kirk. We have been in contact with a broad range of people on Capitol Hill.

The issue of comprehensive immigration reform is back on the agenda. People can speculate about whether this is a false or real dawn but our responsibility is to pursue it in the interests of the estimated 50,000 undocumented Irish people in the United States.

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