Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 17, 25, 53, 55, 61 and 66 together.

A resolution of the position of the undocumented Irish in the United States has been and remains a priority for the Government in ongoing contacts with the US Administration and Congress. The Government has also attached great importance to providing for future flows of migration between Ireland and the United States through the extension of the so-called E3 visa scheme to include Irish citizens. In this context, we very much welcome the publication last month of the US Senate’s Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Bill, which provides for reform of the US immigration system. The comprehensive draft legislation, which was drafted over several months by a bipartisan group of eight US Senators, includes provisions that would legalise the status of thousands of undocumented Irish people and provide a path to permanent residency. It also provides for future flows of legal migration between Ireland and the US.

The Bill is a very positive development. Its provisions, if adopted, would help end the great hardship and uncertainty faced by undocumented Irish in the United States and their families in Ireland. The inclusion of a new provision to allow several thousand Irish citizens to legally avail of employment opportunities in the US every year is also particularly welcome. Both of these issues were a key focus of the ongoing contacts undertaken by the Taoiseach and me with political leaders in the US, particularly during our visit to Washington DC for St. Patrick’s Day, when we discussed the prospects for progress with Ireland’s key friends on Capitol Hill and in the Administration. Since the publication of the Bill, the Government has maintained close contact with the key players through our embassy in Washington.

It is important to recall that the overall issues involved are complex and sensitive within the US political system and that much further debate is likely to be required before the final shape of any overall legislation becomes clear. Our embassy in Washington continues to closely follow developments and lobby as necessary, in keeping with the approach we have adopted over many years in our pursuit of a resolution of the position of undocumented Irish people in the United States. I reiterate my appreciation for the active support we continue to receive from a number of Irish community organisations, including the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, the Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

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