Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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285. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has had recently with the United States authorities in relation to the undocumented Irish; the visa proposals he has put forward that would assist Irish persons that need to have their status regularised in the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39356/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am acutely aware of the very understandable concerns which exist among members of the Irish community in the U.S. in light of recent developments in the area of immigration under the new U.S. Administration. The changed political landscape in the US has resulted in a renewed focus on the plight of the many millions of undocumented people living in the US, including a significant number of Irish citizens.

In order to support people who have those concerns, our Embassy in Washington DC, and our six Consulates across the U.S., continue to work with Irish immigration centres to provide support to undocumented Irish citizens.

Legal advice on the implications of policy developments for undocumented Irish citizens in the U.S, funded by my Department, has been disseminated amongst Irish immigration centres in the United States and is available online.

The Irish Government’s objectives regarding undocumented Irish citizens in the United States remain constant, namely, to achieve relief for the undocumented and facilitate greater pathways for legal migration to the United States.

With this in mind, Ireland’s diplomatic representatives in the U.S. are continuing to systematically avail of all opportunities to raise the immigration issue in their contacts with the US authorities, including the prospects for immigration reform and the situation of the undocumented.

I am in New York this week for the opening of the UN General Assembly and I will be talking time out of my UN programme to meet with representatives of the four Irish Immigration Centres in the region and a representative of the US-wide Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres. This will be an opportunity for me to hear from those working at the coalface with the undocumented Irish as to the current situation and the problems they are encountering on the ground.

I will also be meeting with a senior State Department official during my time in New York and will use that opportunity to once again impress on the US administration the importance which the Irish Government attaches to a resolution of the plight of the undocumented Irish.

In addition, I plan on travelling to Washington DC next month for a series of high-level meetings, including with influential friends of Ireland on Capitol Hill, and this issue will again be high on my agenda.

There can be no doubt, then, that the Government remains wholly committed to working with the US authorities to resolve the plight of the undocumented Irish. The Government will continue to articulate to the US authorities our keen interest in this area while respecting the right of the United States to set its own immigration policies.

The Taoiseach raised the issue when he spoke with President Trump by phone shortly after taking office and I know that the Taoiseach looks forward to having an opportunity to discuss this important issue with President Trump in more detail in due course.

The appointment by the Taoiseach of Deputy John Deasy as the Government’s Special Envoy to the United States Congress to work for the undocumented Irish is a further statement of our intent and seriousness on this issue.

I can also assure the Deputy of the Government’s continued commitment to pursuing these matters on behalf of our affected citizens in the U.S.