Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he met the group of US Congressmen on their recent visit here; the discussions he had with them; if the situation regarding undocumented young Irish in the US was discussed; the way in which he envisages a solution to the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3423/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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A US congressional delegation, led by Congressman James Walsh, chairman of the friends of Ireland group in Congress, visited Ireland last month. I was pleased to meet with the delegation, which included Congressmen Brian Higgins and Tim Murphy, in Carlingford on 17 January.

Our discussions covered bilateral issues of mutual interest. I took the opportunity to thank the delegation for the continued bipartisan support of the United States for the peace process in Northern Ireland. I briefed the delegation on current developments in Northern Ireland and on the Government's determination to ensure the earliest practicable restoration of the devolved institutions. I stressed that 2006 will be a decisive year and underlined the continued importance of close US engagement with the peace process.

I also raised the issue of the undocumented Irish in the United States. As the Deputy is aware, various legislative proposals are under consideration in the US at present, of which the Bills sponsored, respectively, by Senators Kennedy and McCain and by Senators Kyl and Cornyn, remain the most comprehensive and politically significant. I briefed the Congressmen on the strong support by the Government and the Oireachtas, as expressed in last October's all-party motion, for the approach proposed by Senators Kennedy and McCain. This, if adopted, would offer the undocumented a path to permanent residency. However, it is clear that the legislative situation is fluid and that achieving the necessary compromise on this sensitive issue remains a formidable challenge.