Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position of immigration reform proposals in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3919/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The welfare of the undocumented Irish in the United States is an issue of the highest priority for the Government. In all of my dealings about comprehensive immigration reform, I stress our strong support for measures that would enable the undocumented to regularise their status and have open to them a path to permanent residency.

Immigration reform is one of the most contentious and high profile political issues in the US. The Democratic victory in the mid-term elections has given a considerable boost to the prospects for enacting comprehensive reform that would address the legal status of most of the more than 11 million undocumented.

Although progressive legislative proposals lapsed with the outgoing Congress, the issue is still on the political agenda of the new Congress and I understand that new bills are being drafted. There is now a majority in the Senate and the House in favour of reform and contacts in both parties maintain that immigration is one area where bipartisan cooperation could be possible. At the same time, considerable political hurdles remain and opinions on the prospects for enacting legislation this year still vary considerably.

In the last Congress, the Kennedy/McCain bill had considerable bipartisan support. Only a bipartisan solution can succeed in reforming the immigration system. Strong leadership from President Bush and from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are all needed to secure the passage of comprehensive reform.

President Bush reiterated his strong commitment to comprehensive reform during the mid-term election campaign and again during his recent State of the Union address. His statements added momentum to the campaign to provide legal status to the undocumented, including to thousands of Irish people. Positive statements from the Senate Majority and Minority leaders also identified immigration reform as a key legislative priority for the period ahead. While the legislative timetable has yet to be clarified, the latest indications are that the Senate will have completed its consideration of a reform bill by early summer.

The Government will continue its active engagement on behalf of the undocumented Irish in the US. The Taoiseach and I will highlight our concerns once again when we meet with President Bush and key members of Congress, and with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) during the St Patrick's Day period.

I maintain very close contact with our community in the United States. The ILIR campaign is having a very significant and positive impact in Congress. The ILIR held the latest of its 'town hall meetings' in San Francisco on 1st February. A large crowd attended (over 1,500) — the majority were undocumented Irish. The Consul General and the Vice Consul were present. The mood of the meeting was positive and focused predominantly on garnering support for the 'National Lobby Day' scheduled to take place in Washington DC on 7th March. A notable feature of the Rally was the strong message of support from the new Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

I look forward to a further intensification of the Government's efforts on behalf of the undocumented in the period ahead. I am cautiously hopeful that progress can be made.