Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know there are many people from the Deputy's county who are in a very vulnerable position as a result of this, as there are in mine.

The Government remains committed to achieving relief for the undocumented and to facilitating greater pathways for legal migration to the United States. Ireland’s diplomatic representatives in the US are availing of all opportunities to raise the immigration issue in their contacts with the US authorities, including the prospects for immigration reform and the situation of the undocumented, as is the Government’s special envoy to Congress on the undocumented, Deputy John Deasy.

We do not, however, underestimate the size of the challenge. This policy area has been a deeply divisive issue within the US political system for decades with pronounced disagreement, even within the same political parties, on the best way to deal with an issue which directly affects over 11 million people. The Government has consistently engaged with both parties in a bipartisan way to address our longstanding concerns and this continues to be our approach.

During my visit to New York for the UN General Assembly in September, I met representatives of the four Irish immigration centres in the region and a representative of the US-wide coalition of Irish immigration centres.

My colleague, Deputy Cannon, was also at a number of those meetings and also had a series of meetings without me.

In addition, I met with a senior State Department official, and I was able to further emphasise the Government's commitment to this issue when I travelled to Washington DC from 3 to 5 October and met, along with Deputy Deasy, senior members of the US Administration and members of Congress, including the Congressional Friends of Ireland Group. In addition, our ambassador in Washington DC, Dan Mulhall, hosted a roundtable discussion on 25 October on the issue with Irish community key stakeholders, including the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres.

The Government remains wholly committed to working with the US authorities to resolve the plight of the undocumented Irish, while respecting the right of the United States to set its own immigration policies.

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