Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I congratulate my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, who has been given responsibility for emigrant matters, and I congratulate Deputy Mary Wallace on her appointment to the position of Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me raise this important matter which concerns the 50,000 Irish citizens trapped as illegals in the United States.

No week goes by in which some parent, brother or sister does not contact me regarding the proposed legislation concerning emigrants to the United States. The problems confronting Irish citizens in the Untied States are well known. The affected citizens are afraid to return to Ireland for family weddings and funerals. Families are split and many are now beginning to feel the force of the new driving licence legislation passed recently in the United States which will more or less prevent the undocumented from working in a country they love.

In a State of the Union address, President Bush did not seem to stress the immigration issue which must be tackled in the United States. I believed he would give the nudge to the Kennedy-McCain proposals, which appear to be humane, sensible and, above all, administratively possible. They are in the best interests of the United States.

I call on the Taoiseach to instruct his Ministers to discuss, while reviewing St. Patrick's Day parades throughout the United States, the unique problems that beset our 50,000 undocumented Irish citizens in that country and to garner support for the Kennedy-McCain proposals, which will be debated at a meeting of the justice committee at Capitol Hill at the end of March. When the bowl of shamrock is changing hands in the White House on St. Patrick's Day, will the Taoiseach make a special appeal on behalf of undocumented Irish citizens, many of whom want to work and live in the United States but also want to be able to come home to the places of their birth? I ask him to attach great importance to this issue on St. Patrick's Day.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I support my colleague Deputy Connaughton. I wish well the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, who is dealing with emigration, and I congratulate Deputy Mary Wallace on her appointment as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food.

We are sick and tired of the behaviour of the US Government and it is time we adopted a tougher approach to it. We have pussyfooted for long enough on this issue and thousands of people are meeting every week to discuss it. Last weekend there was a meeting in New York and there have been meetings in Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco and Washington. The people affected are Irish citizens. We are supposed to have a special relationship with the US Government. How could the same Government allocate 10,500 visas to Australian citizens in recent months? What did the Australian people ever do for America? It was the Irish people who built America and ensured that its economy is as it is today. It is too bad if our Taoiseach and our Ministers cannot secure a special deal for Irish people. A special deal has been reached for people from Nicaragua, Chile and other countries. We want a deal for Irish citizens, once and for all.

I remind the Minister of State and the Taoiseach that there is supposed to be a special relationship between Ireland and the United States. It is time for us to call in a special favour. Like Deputy Connaughton and many Fianna Fáil backbenchers, I am sick and tired of listening to mothers and fathers telling me that their sons and daughters cannot leave the US to come home to bury their loved ones, to attend a wedding or to be present on special occasions. I do not refer to people who have been in the US for six months, but to people who have been there for ten, 15 or 20 years. When the representatives of the Government go abroad this year, I do not want to see the Taoiseach in the US engaging in a charade with a bit of shamrock. He should go there to make a special case for our illegal immigrants and to strike the deal that the US Government owes to the Irish people. We are sick and tired of taking dictation from them. We want a deal for our emigrants. I am worried that the McCain-Kennedy Bill will go down because Irish-American politicians are getting afraid ahead of the elections next year. We need to put pressure on American politicians and the US ambassador to Ireland. We do not want any more short-term arrangements. I want our people to be looked after. I am sick and tired of what I am hearing coming out of the US.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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We all agree with that.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The vulnerable situation of the undocumented Irish in the United States continues to be a matter of deep concern to the Government and all Members of the Oireachtas. As public representatives, we are familiar with the stresses and strains of the daily lives of the people with this difficult problem. Those of us who represent constituencies in the west of Ireland, in particular, are keenly aware of the impact of this problem on the individuals concerned, as well as on their families at home. I am glad to have an opportunity to assure the House that the Government and the Irish Embassy and consulates in the United States will continue to give this matter the highest priority. The legislative debate on immigration in the US has entered a critical phase. Last December the US House of Representatives passed the Sensenbrenner-King Act, which provides for tough enforcement measures. Wider reform legislation, including measures to address the issue of the undocumented, is likely to be considered in the US Senate next month. The progress being made in the debate brings with it many expectations and a sense of optimism that resolution may be in sight. That we are unable to predict the outcome leads naturally to heightened feelings of anxiety.

At this stressful time for our undocumented Irish and their families, this evening's debate gives me a welcome opportunity to update the House on recent developments in the immigration debate in the USA. I emphasise the Government's commitment to giving every possible support to our undocumented community. What I will say builds on previous debates and on information that my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has previously circulated to Members of the Oireachtas. The common cause and commitment of the House to supporting our undocumented community found the clearest possible expression in the all-party resolution that was debated and passed by the House last October. Our interest in this matter is set against the background of the deep affection of Irish people for the United States of America and our great pride in the contribution that Irish people have made and continue to make to developments in that country over the generations. I am glad to have an opportunity to assure the House that the issue of the undocumented Irish continues to be a high priority for the Government, which is acutely aware of its duty to promote and protect their interests to the fullest extent possible. In all its dealings with its key US contacts, the Government emphasises the importance of addressing the vulnerable position of the undocumented Irish in a sensitive and sympathetic way. The Taoiseach made that point during his most recent meeting with the US President, Mr. Bush, as did the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, during his meeting with the US Secretary of State, Ms Rice.

While there have been significant developments in the US Congress, it is clear that the legislative situation there is fluid. Achievement of the necessary compromises continues to be a formidable challenge. The Government, which has raised its concerns about the undocumented Irish with its US contacts, recognises the complexity of the issues involved and the need to secure consensus about a comprehensive set of reforms which address the circumstances of the undocumented Irish and the need for increased security of borders. In this context, the Government welcomes the engagement of the US President, Mr. Bush, on this issue. In particular, it welcomes his support for a humane approach that focuses not only on enforcement issues but on the need for overall reform. The Taoiseach looks forward to discussing this issue further with Mr. Bush when they meet next month during his traditional St. Patrick's Day visit to Washington DC.

Deputies are aware that various legislative proposals, including the significant and positive Bill proposed by Senators Kennedy and McCain, were tabled in both Houses of Congress last year. The Government considers that the Kennedy-McCain Bill is the most attractive approach for the undocumented Irish as it includes provisions which would allow undocumented people to apply initially for temporary residence status, with a route to permanent residency. In effect, that would allow the undocumented Irish to travel to and from Ireland freely. As Deputies are aware, that would be a great relief to the individuals and their families in Ireland. The Kennedy-McCain proposal is one of a number of immigration Bills before the US Congress, not all of which are sympathetic to the circumstances of the undocumented Irish. Deputies are aware that immigration is a highly sensitive and frequently divisive issue and that some members of the US Congress are strongly opposed to proposals which would give undocumented people the opportunity to regularise their status. The strength of this opinion was evident, for example, during the passage through the US House of Representatives of the Sensenbrenner-King Act last December. That legislation focuses on the enforcement of immigration legislation without making provision for the regularisation of the residency status of undocumented people. The focus of the debate in the US has shifted to the US Senate. I understand that the chairman of the US Senate judiciary committee has considered the proposals advanced last year by Senators Kennedy, McCain, Kyl and Cornyn and has drafted a compromise text that will form the basis of further discussion. Committee stage consideration of the compromise text may commence early in March.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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The Minister of State's time has concluded.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Can I finish my speech? I think the House would like to hear it.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That is agreed.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Other Deputies are waiting to speak. The Minister of State has yet to read two pages of his script.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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It will take him a few minutes to read two pages.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Minister should be allowed to read it into the record.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I will not take long.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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The Minister of State can continue.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputies may recall from the information note the Minister for Foreign Affairs circulated last November that there are indications that the compromise text provides for a temporary guest programme that will be open to those who are undocumented at present. However, it proposes that such people will be required to return to their home countries before applying for re-entry to the US. Senators Kennedy and McCain and their like-minded colleagues are convinced that proposals which require undocumented people to return home before applying for re-entry to the US are not practical and will not encourage such people to come out of the shadows. Senators Kennedy and McCain continue to be active in advocating provisions they consider to be effective and fair. The Government, which is monitoring the situation closely, is confident that the Senators in question, who are good friends of Ireland, will remain deeply involved with the legislation as it is considered by the Senate. In the critical period ahead, as proposals and compromises are put forward, the Government will continue to make known its strong support for the inclusion in the final legislation of the key elements of the Kennedy-McCain Bill.

As I have said, the Government and the Irish Embassy and consulates will continue to engage fully with these issues as part of the wider Irish effort in the US. I am proud to say that the Irish diaspora has earned an important role in that country. Irish people are entitled to inform their local US legislators of their views. I warmly welcome the recent establishment of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, which gives Irish people in the US another powerful tool to give clear expression to their views. I am delighted that Senator Kennedy has expressed his personal appreciation for the initiative that led to the establishment of the lobby. As a reflection of the Government's commitment to supporting the undocumented Irish, the Minister for Foreign Affairs recently announced the allocation of a grant of €30,000 to the lobby to help it to meet its operational expenses. In the short time since it was established, the immigration reform lobby has held well-attended meetings in New York, Philadelphia and Boston and is organising further meetings. The high level of participation and interest it has generated reflects the Irish community's grassroots support for the approach advocated by Senators Kennedy and McCain. The lobby is working closely with existing organisations in the Irish community, such as the excellent network of Irish immigration centres and GAA clubs. I warmly commend the community spirit of Mr. Niall O'Dowd and others who established the lobby, as well as those involved in the extraordinary network of Irish organisations showing strong leadership on this issue.

The efforts I have mentioned complement the ongoing work of the Government, the Irish Embassy and the network of consulates in the US, which are trying to ensure that the issues which deeply affect our undocumented can be resolved. The Government will consider all options and measures that would address the interests of this vulnerable section of the community. I assure the House that the Government's efforts in support of the undocumented community will continue to increase in the crucial period ahead. The Government's views will be conveyed by our colleagues and diplomats at the highest level over the St. Patrick's Day period in Washington and throughout the US. I thank the House sincerely for giving me an opportunity to update Members on developments regarding Irish people in the United States of America.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We want political action.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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We are working very hard on it.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We are not getting very far.