John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the efforts being made on the needs of the undocumented Irish in the United States of America; the extent to which ongoing negotiations continue to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3690/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government continues to seek a solution to the plight of thousands of undocumented Irish citizens resident in the US, and avails of all opportunities to raise US immigration reform and the status of the undocumented Irish with the US administration and with contacts on Capitol Hill. The forthcoming Ministerial visits to the United States over the St. Patrick’s Day period will provide an important opportunity to raise this issue with key stakeholders across the United States, including in Washington, D.C. Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, working both here and in the US, are engaged on this important issue on an ongoing basis and are always on the alert for any new initiatives that might be under consideration by the US authorities, and how these might benefit Irish citizens. In this regard, officials based at our Embassy in D.C. have been working closely with Deputy John Deasy in his role as the Government’s Special Envoy to Congress on the Undocumented. They also remain in regular contact with Ireland’s friends in the Administration and on Capitol Hill. Deputy Deasy is in Washington, D.C. this week, 22-26 January, to conduct a series of meetings on the issue of the undocumented.

I can assure the Deputy that officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, both here and in Washington, D.C., will, under my direction, continue to give priority to this issue, mindful of its importance to the thousands of undocumented and to their families in Ireland.