Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the undocumented Irish in the US; the position regarding their legal status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22147/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that efforts by the United States Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation failed to get the necessary support earlier this year. This was a major disappointment and a setback for the thousands of undocumented Irish people in the United States, and also for their families in Ireland. It is now widely considered that this important issue is unlikely to be back before Congress in a meaningful way in advance of the next US Presidential and Congressional Elections.

In the aftermath of this disappointment, I made clear my determination to actively review the situation and to explore possible alternative options, including bilateral arrangements. In the months since the collapse of the comprehensive reform bill, my Department and the Embassy in Washington have initiated contacts at senior official level in Washington and have been engaged in a wide range of consultations with Congressional, Administration and Irish community figures to assess how best to proceed.

My visit to the United States this week provided me with an opportunity to reinforce these efforts at senior political level through discussions with members of the Administration and Congress. I also had talks with representatives of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and direct contact with the undocumented Irish community in New York with a view to exploring all ways of finding a way forward on this sensitive and important issue.