Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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478. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which ongoing dialogue is taking place with the US authorities to affirm some form of regularisation of their residency for the undocumented Irish in the US with particular reference to those longest remaining undocumented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39763/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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This has been, and will remain, a key priority for the Government in our bilateral relationship with the United States. Through our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the U.S., we are working closely with many other individuals and groups across Irish America and beyond towards achieving some relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the United States and improved channels for legal migration between Ireland and America.During my recent visit to the US from 23 September to 1 October I had a wide range of meetings with both Irish community groups and high level government contacts on this important issue.

My programme included discussions with Vice President Joe Biden, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Congressman Joseph Kennedy. I had a meeting in New York with Irish-American community leaders, including from the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, Ancient Order of Hibernians and the New York branch of the GAA, with whom the Government has worked closely on our shared U.S. immigration reform agenda. I also had the opportunity to visit the Emerald Isle Immigration Center and Aisling Irish Center in New York and the Irish International Immigrant Center in Boston, which gave me the opportunity to meet some of those most affected by the current state of affairs.

Following the bipartisan U.S. Senate bill last year, and despite extensive combined efforts at Government, Embassy and Irish-American community levels since then, the U.S. House of Representatives has not yet taken action that would deliver relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the U.S. or an improved facility for future legal migration between Ireland and the U.S. While it appeared before the summer to be the intention of President Obama and his Administration to examine the scope for action on immigration via executive authority, President Obama announced on September 6 that he would delay any such action until after the November U.S. elections.

The exact extent, nature and timing of any action that the U.S. Administration will be ready to take remains to be confirmed and there is clearly no guarantee as to the outcome that can be achieved via executive action. However, in my contacts in Washington, including in my conversation with the White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, I stressed the importance of addressing the needs and concerns of the undocumented Irish migrants in any such action. There are of course limits to what executive action is likely to be able to do and so further progress on the legislative track is also necessary.

While there appears to be some willingness to consider further action in Congress at some future point, this is dependent on many factors and will not be easy to achieve. The Government will continue to work resolutely for progress over the coming months from which currently undocumented Irish migrants in the U.S. and their families can benefit.