Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position with the temporary worker programme detailed by the President of the United States, Mr. George Bush. [16179/04]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, President Bush announced on 7 January 2004 a proposal to introduce a new form of temporary work permit which would be available to both undocumented foreign nationals currently in the United States and those seeking to enter with a job already arranged. Shortly afterwards, Senator Tom Daschle and Senator Chuck Hagel announced a bipartisan Bill for immigration reform that would enable undocumented foreign nationals in the US to legalise their status if they fulfilled certain conditions. Earlier this month, Senator Edward Kennedy introduced a new immigration reform Bill entitled the Safe, Orderly Legal Visas and Enforcement Act — the SOLVE Act. This Bill goes further than other recent immigration initiatives in providing opportunities for undocumented immigrants to regularise their status.

These proposals will have to be approved by the US Congress and it is too early to say what changes or amendments may be made in the course of their consideration by Congress. I will continue to closely monitor the progress of these initiatives through the US Congress in the coming months.

During a visit to Washington earlier this year, I discussed the position and status of Irish immigrants in the US with a number of prominent US politicians. I was pleased to have this further opportunity to flag at senior political level our concerns about the position of Irish immigrants in the US. I assure the Deputy that, through our embassy in Washington and my contacts with political leaders in the US, I will continue to strongly encourage and support measures that would benefit Irish citizens in the US.