Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his recent efforts on behalf of the undocumented Irish in the US and the prospects he holds for the action that can be taken in the immediate future. [38563/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is strongly committed to trying to resolve the plight of the undocumented Irish in the United States. This remains a key priority and forms an integral part of the ongoing efforts to reform our overall migration arrangements with the US. The agreement reached on 24 September to establish a new Working Holiday Agreement between Ireland and the US is a very positive development in this regard.

I emphasised the Government's strong support for the undocumented during my visit to the US in September. Among the political figures with whom I discussed the matter were the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy; the Chairwoman of the House sub-Committee on Immigration, Zoe Lofgren; Congressman James Sensenbrenner and the House Friends of Ireland Group. While most are generally supportive of our position, they emphasised that passing immigration legislation will continue to present significant challenges for the foreseeable future. In New York, I met with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and announced the allocation of an additional $50,000 to that organisation, bringing total Government funding to the undocumented's main lobby group since 2006 to $235,000.

I can assure the Deputy that the Government will be prioritising the issue of the undocumented in our early contact with the new US Administration and Congress.