Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There are two parts to the Deputy's question. The issue of comprehensive immigration reform which will address the needs of the undocumented Irish was part of the discussion. We also requested at our meetings that an E-3 visa arrangement be put in place for Irish people travelling to work in the United States of America. There are two parts to this, the first of which deals with the approximately 50,000 undocumented Irish in the United States of America who are part of a total population of 11 million undocumented immigrants living there and for whom comprehensive immigration reforms are being brought forward. The second issue is the question of an E-3 visa arrangement to enable those who want to work in the United States of America to travel there legally. Both issues were addressed.

On the question of the timetable involved, a cross-party group of eight Senators - four Democratic Senators and four Republican Senators - is working on comprehensive immigration legislation. Their work is continuing and we must wait to see what emerges. The expectation is that on the completion of the group's work, the matter will go to a Senate committee - likely to be the judiciary committee which is chaired by Senator Leahy - before being put before the Senate. Thereafter, it would have to go to the House of Representatives. We are maintaining a level of contact with key Senators, including those involved in the drafting of the proposals. We are also maintaining contacts with Members on both sides of the aisle in the House of Representatives.

See this speech in context