Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Taoiseach raised again with President Biden the need to make progress regarding immigration reform. The E-3 visa Bill was previously stopped in its tracks at the last minute by one Senator objecting. Irish advocacy groups estimate that there could be up to 10,000 people in the United States whose position has not been regularised, who are referred to as "the undocumented". We know how precarious that position can be when a pandemic hits. Those people are working hard, contributing to society and rearing families in many instances. It is very important that this issue is kept on the agenda.

One other issue I would like to see kept on the agenda is the need for President Biden to appoint a special envoy to Northern Ireland. That intense contact and the development of bilateral relations will be for the benefit of the people of both Northern Ireland and the United States.

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