Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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179. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress in the follow up to the announcement by President Obama in respect of undocumented Irish in the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3250/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Last November President Obama announced new measures which should benefit thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants based in the US. Pending further possible measures being considered by the US Congress, the President’s announcement is a step forward which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on immigrants’ lives. At the core of his proposals is that undocumented immigrants in the US for more than 5 years, who have children who are US citizens or legal residents, who register, go through background checks and pay their taxes, will be protected from deportation and given temporary legal status.

Work continues within the US administration to finalise all the details and bring these measures into force. This will be a major administrative and logistical exercise, with current indications that the application process will be in place sometime later this year.

I am determined that as many Irish citizens as possible will benefit from these changes and, to that end, our missions in the US will continue to work in partnership with the Irish immigration centres there whose work my Department supports.

While these executive measures clearly represent real progress, I’m well aware that some will not benefit from these new arrangements and that our work for further changes in this area must be pushed forward through encouraging legislative action in Congress.

Through our Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. and through direct political contacts with the Administration and all sides in Congress, we will continue to encourage further steps that will reflect the concerns and needs of the undocumented Irish and their families, as well as ensuring improved channels for legal migration between Ireland and America.

Our Ambassador and her team in Washington are continuing their ongoing engagement with the US administration on this priority issue for the Government. We also keep in close contact with the US Ambassador to Ireland and his team at the US Embassy.