Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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118. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress to date in securing a visa waiver for the undocumented Irish in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28294/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Achieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants and improving channels for legal migration between Ireland and the US continue to be priorities for the Government. Here in Ireland and through our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the U.S., we continue to work closely with high level Government contacts and with many other individuals and groups.

As part of these contacts, we have highlighted the issue of those amongst the Irish undocumented who might be eligible forvisas, but who would be required to return to Ireland for their issuance and hence would require waivers for their prior period of undocumented residence.

The Government has repeatedly raised the issue of immigration reform during high level visits with US officials in the first half of this year. During the Taoiseach's visit to Washington for St. Patrick's Day, he met with President Obama, Vice President Biden as well as other senior US Administration figures and key Congressional contacts from both sides of the aisle. These meetings provided an important opportunity to reiterate our concerns in regard to the position of the undocumented Irish, to seek further information on the detail of President Obama's executive action, to raise the question of visa waivers and to encourage progress on a comprehensive legislative package by Congress. I also raised immigration reform issues, including the possibility of immigration reform legislation and the question of visa waivers, when I met with Vice President Biden in Boston on 30 March. I have also discussed these matters on a number of occasions recently with US Ambassador O'Malley.

Measures announced last November by President Obama, which could benefit thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants based in the US, were very welcome. However, I am conscious that they remain under legal challenge in US Federal Courts and that, as President Obama correctly emphasised at the time of his announcement, legislation in Congress is still needed to ensure reform which is fully comprehensive.

We continue to push for a political way forward on this issue which would encourage progress on a legislative package by Congress. For that reason, the Government and our Embassy continue to work with the Administration and with Republican and Democratic political leaders in the area of immigration reform.

The high level contacts continue on a regular basis. Most recently, in the past fortnight I had the opportunity to meet with John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and a number of his Congressional colleagues, when they visited Dublin. The Taoiseach also met with him and we both took the opportunity to re-emphasise our wish to see comprehensive legislative reform take place so as to provide relief for the undocumented Irish and a legal pathway to allow for future Irish immigration to the US.

The Government as a whole, including my Department in Dublin and our Embassy in Washington, will continue to actively follow up with the US Administration, with Congress and with the US Embassy in Ireland.