Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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159. To ask the Taoiseach the progress that was made in his discussions with President Obama and senior American politicians regarding the plight of the undocumented Irish in the US, during his visit to Washington; the outcome of these discussions; the person who attended these meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13935/14]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I discussed immigration reform and the plight of our undocumented in many of my meetings and public engagements during my recent St Patrick’s Day visit to Washington DC. 

In addition to substantive discussion of the issues with President Obama and Vice President Biden, I also discussed the prospects for progress with a range of other members of Congress including Speaker John Boehner, Congressman Bob Goodlatte; Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee which has responsibility for immigration legislation in the House, Congressman Paul Ryan, the Congressional Friends of Ireland and Senator Patrick Leahy; the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that oversaw the passage of the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill last June. While in Washington I also called into a Republican Party St. Patrick's Day social gathering which provided me with a valuable opportunity to briefly talk to a number of Republican congressman about the issue and encourage progress.

I highlighted the need for progress on immigration reform in the speeches I made to influential audiences at the US Chamber of Commerce, the American-Ireland Fund Gala, the White House St Patrick’s Day reception, the Ambassador’s St Patrick’s Day reception and most importantly at the Speaker’s Lunch on Capitol Hill, where a large number of members of congress were present, in addition to the President, Vice President and Speaker Boehner, and where I called in the strongest possible terms for Congress to show leadership and deal with the immigration issue now. 

I was accompanied in these meetings by Ambassador Anderson and members of my delegation. Without under-estimating the political complexities that persist around the immigration reform discussion in the United States, I was encouraged to hear views from both Democrats and Republicans that there is now a growing consensus in favour of reform. I have instructed Ambassador Anderson and her team, working with the Irish American lobby groups who have already put in such a great effort, to continue their efforts to persuade members of Congress to seize this opportunity and make immigration reform a reality.