Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made to date on resolving the issue of undocumented Irish in the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31387/09]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will re-open discussions with the Obama Administration to find a solution for the undocumented Irish in the US in view of the recent passing of a US Senator (details supplied), a leading proponent of immigration reform in the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31692/09]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 74 together.

The Government attaches the highest importance to resolving the plight of our undocumented citizens in the United States.

We have emphasised our strong support for the undocumented in all our engagements with the US Administration and Congress, including during meetings earlier this year with President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and key Congressional leaders.

As the Deputies are aware, in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, the Government has been actively pursuing a bilateral approach, aimed at facilitating greater legal migration between the two countries. The approach has had three core objectives: a reciprocal Working Holiday Agreement (now operational); new bilateral arrangements to provide reciprocal long term E3 working visas; and a solution for our undocumented.

While the inclusion of Ireland in an expanded version of the E3 programme would provide extensive new opportunities for Irish people to work in the United States and help ensure that a new generation of undocumented Irish does not develop, our friends on Capitol Hill have been clear that the status of the undocumented Irish cannot be addressed in isolation from other ethnic groups, including by way of an E3. Their advice is that the best prospect for a solution for the undocumented continues to lie with comprehensive immigration reform.

In June, President Obama met with a range of key Congressional figures, including supporters and opponents of reform, to discuss this issue and identify how to begin fixing what he has described as a broken immigration system. His statement, following the meeting that his 'Administration is fully behind an effort to achieve comprehensive immigration reform' was welcomed by the Taoiseach in a personal letter he sent to President Obama in July, which outlined the Government's strong support for the undocumented.

As President Obama has noted, immigration remains 'a sensitive and politically volatile issue' in the United States. Bi-partisan support is considered vital to the success of comprehensive reform and our friends on Capitol Hill have made it clear that progressing legislation will continue to present significant challenges. The challenges the Administration is experiencing in progressing its immediate legislative priority of healthcare reform may also delay action on comprehensive reform.

With the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy, Ireland and Irish-America has lost a great friend and leader. An embodiment of the Irish immigrant story, he was a champion of many causes, including, of course, comprehensive immigration reform. His strong support for the undocumented, his understanding of their plight, was unwavering. While the immediate prospects for immigration reform remain uncertain, the Government is determined to build on Senator Kennedy's legacy by working closely with our many friends in Congress to find a solution for our undocumented.