Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am aware of his longstanding interest in this issue.

Addressing the position of the undocumented Irish and reforming our migration arrangements with the United States remain important priorities for the Government in its relationship with the US Administration and US Congress. The Taoiseach and I discussed immigration issues with President Obama when we met with him on 23 May last year in Dublin. I have also had exchanges during the course of 2011 with the Secretary of State Mrs. Clinton and Senator Patrick Leahy, Chair of the Senate judiciary committee.

Enabling Irish people to apply for E-3 temporary US work visas has been a particular focus of the Government's efforts in the context of our overall ongoing exchanges with the US Administration and Congress on immigration related issues. E-3 visas are non-immigrant worker visas and renewable every two years.

Senators Schumer, Leahy and Durbin and Senators Brown and Kirk had tabled draft Bills which would enable the provision of E-3 visas to Irish applicants. Both Bills have since been referred for examination by the US Senate's judiciary committee and I am pleased that progress is being made towards securing the bipartisan consensus that will be required if a good overall result is to be achieved. During my recent visits to Washington DC and New York, I had further separate contacts with Deputy Secretary Bill Burns of the US State Department and with Senators Leahy, Brown and Schumer and members of the "Friends of Ireland" group in the House of Representatives. I thanked the Senators and the "Friends of Ireland" group for their ongoing efforts in this regard and encouraged them to persist towards reaching a positive outcome. I also assured them of the Government's continuing close interest and support in this connection.

Our embassy is in turn working closely with key stakeholder groups from throughout the Irish-American community. The Taoiseach met last week in New York with representatives from several of these groups, including the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform and the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres. He acknowledged and thanked all these groups and others from within Irish America for their vital help in rallying support behind our collective efforts.

While the advances made so far are heartening, I am conscious that the current US domestic political climate on immigration issues and the presidential elections taking place there later this year mean that nothing can be taken for granted. Therefore, the Taoiseach and I will continue to take every opportunity over the coming weeks and through the St. Patrick's Day period to maintain momentum behind these efforts.

While E-3 visas address future flows between Ireland and the US, we need to continue to seek comprehensive reform to address the issue of the undocumented. The Government will therefore continue to engage closely through the embassy with key players in the US Congress over the period ahead, with a view to further advancing our Irish E-3 visa objectives and those of the undocumented.