Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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490. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress on establishing a reciprocal E3 visa with the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45032/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Achieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US remains a priority for the Government in our contacts with the United States. 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 across Irish America and beyond. The aim of these contacts is to achieve relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US and to improve channels for legal migration between Ireland and America.

The objective of achieving an E3 visa agreement between Ireland and the United States remains a key element of Ireland’s overall position on U.S. immigration reform and one which we regularly emphasise both in contacts with US interlocutors at Ministerial level and through the immigration reform activities of our Embassy in Washington, DC.

As I advised Deputy Naughten when I last updated him on this matter in November, I visited New York and Washington DC last September to meet with the US administration, members of Congress and Irish community leaders. On foot of these meetings, a Bill has been tabled by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner in the US House of Representatives. The Bill is aimed at providing access to several thousand E3 visas for Irish citizens.

I warmly welcome this positive step towards meeting the desire of many Irish people to live and work in the US for a time, but would also point out that there is much work to be done in both Houses of Congress before this Bill might become law. I am also aware that while this particular measure would help with our objective of securing improved legal migration channels, it would not address the concerns of undocumented citizens currently in the US. These remain a key priority and continue to be the subject of ourongoing contacts with the US authorities. In addition, the Government has provided financial support of €1,535,911 in 2015 to assist the work of Irish immigration centres who, inter alia, offer advice and support to our undocumented citizens.

The Government as a whole, including my Department in Dublin and our Embassy in Washington, is continuing to engage with Congressman Sensenbrenner and other Congressional contacts, across both sides of the political aisle, to encourage progress on the E3 visa Bill proposed by the Congressman through the legislative process.