Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann, concerned at the plight of undocumented Irish people living in difficult circumstances in the United States of America:

—welcomes the high priority being given by the US President and Congress to addressing the issue of immigration reform in a way which takes account of the particular position of the undocumented, and also of the security of US borders;

—recognises in particular that the undocumented Irish are unable to return to Ireland for visits and that this imposes significant hardship on their families in Ireland, including in many cases elderly parents;

—recognises further that these people have made and continue to make a valuable contribution to the economic and social life of the United States;

—notes that there are a number of Bills before the US Congress at present which propose different means of legislating for immigration reform;

—deeply appreciates the support given by many members of Congress to efforts to resolve the difficulties facing the undocumented Irish; and

—expresses its strong support for the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act introduced on 12 May, 2005 in the US Senate by Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator John McCain and in the US House of Representatives by Rep. Jim Kolbe and Rep. Jeff Flake.