Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Finding a solution for our undocumented citizens in the United States remains an important priority for this Government. The Government is also committed to working with our friends in Congress to enhance Ireland's bilateral visa arrangements with the US through the establishment of a two year renewable E-3 visa facility. The Government is encouraged by President Obama's continued commitment to resolving this issue - a view he shared when the Taoiseach and Minister Martin met him in Washington in March of last year. President Obama has since reiterated that commitment on a number of occasions and will make his State of the Union address on January 25th, when the administration's policy priorities are expected to be also outlined.

However, the outcome of the Congressional elections on 2 November presents significant new political challenges for immigration reform legislation. The failure of efforts to pass the limited DREAM Bill at the end of 2010 highlights the difficulties involved in passing any immigration legislation in the period ahead.

Senior officials of my Department had talks in Washington in late November, on the issue of Irish immigration to the US. They discussed the issue of the undocumented, the conditions in which Irish citizens are held prior to deportation, the operation of the existing working holiday visa programmes and possibilities for the political agreement on the immigration issues following the November elections.

Our Ambassador in Washington met this week with the incoming Chairs of the House Judiciary and Immigration Policy and Enforcement Committees. As both have just taken up their new role, the meetings provided an opportunity to re-iterate our position, in particular in relation to the undocumented and the E-3 type visa and to learn more about their plans for the Committees. These Committees have not yet been fully constituted and it is unlikely that there will be moves in the near-term to introduce significant immigration reform legislation.

My Department and our Embassy in Washington, in particular, will continue to maintain very close contact with the US Administration and Congress, as well as with Irish community advocates, to address this issue in the period ahead. Since 2006, the Government has provided a total support of $325,000 to the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and in September of this year, I met with the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres and the Irish Lobby for Immigration reform to discuss the prospects for reform.

I am very much aware of the difficulties confronting undocumented Irish citizens in the United States and the distress which both they and their families in the US and Ireland experience arising from their situation. I would urge anybody who might be tempted to follow in the footsteps of the undocumented to take account of their plight.