Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is an issue to which I accord very high priority. I am conscious of the difficulties experienced by Irish citizens who are undocumented in the United States and have met and spoken to many of them during my working visits to the United States. I have also met the various groups which lobby on their behalf. Immigration reform and the challenges faced by the undocumented remain central to our bilateral engagement with the United States. I have raised the issue consistently at meetings, in telephone calls and written correspondence with senior US political contacts. I have instructed Ambassador Anderson and her team, working with the Irish-American lobby groups which have already put in a great effort, to continue their lobbying of Members of Congress and seize every opportunity to make immigration reform a reality.

The issue was also discussed extensively during the Taoiseach’s St. Patrick’s Day visit to Washington DC in March. In addition to substantive discussion of the issues involved with President Obama and Vice President Biden, the Taoiseach also discussed the prospects for progress with a range of other Members of Congress, including the Speaker, John Boehner; Congressman Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary which has responsibility for immigration legislation in the House; Congressman Paul Ryan; the Congressional Friends of Ireland; and Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary that oversaw the passage of the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform Bill last June. The Taoiseach called in the strongest possible terms for Congress to show leadership and deal with the immigration issue.

While we have been encouraged by feedback from Democrats and Republicans indicating that there is a growing momentum for reform, it remains difficult to assess exactly when and how this might occur, not least in view of the upcoming mid-term US congressional elections. The most recent indications suggest there may be some prospects for another push for immigration reform activity at House of Representatives level during June and July. However, the situation is evolving continuously and any prediction needs to be made with caution. In this context, I intend to travel to Washington DC next month for a series of further meetings with key contacts on Capitol Hill, as well as with representatives of Irish-American lobby groups. Although much uncertainty still remains as to how events in the US Congress will unfold, it is important that we continue to demonstrate at a high political level the importance we attach to progress being made on this vital issue and that we position ourselves to best advantage on behalf of the Irish people and their families who are directly affected.

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