Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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64. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if progress has been made on establishing an E3 visa agreement between Ireland and the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17399/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I and my Government colleagues regret that it did not prove possible to secure passage of the Irish E3 Visa Bill in December, during the last term of the outgoing US Congress. That Bill, if passed, would have provided for an important new legal pathway for Irish citizens to live, work and make a valuable contribution in the US.

While this was disappointing news for all who care about the Ireland-US relationship, it is important to acknowledge the strong support received from many quarters for Ireland's position on securing a legal pathway for Irish citizens wishing to live and work in the US - support which is testament to the depth and strength of our transatlantic relationship.

Following my meetings in Washington DC in February, and the Taoiseach's meetings over the St. Patrick's Day period, it is our hope that an E3 Bill will be reintroduced in the US House of Representatives in the coming weeks, and possibly sooner.  Should that be the case, the Bill will need to sucessfully advance through the same process, as undertaken at the end of last year. It would therefore need a majority to pass the US House of Representatives and would need no votes against in the US Senate.  This will again be a difficult task, with no guarantee of success.  Given the importance of this issue for the continued development of the Ireland-US relationship, my Department, including through our Embassy in Washington D.C., and Special Envoy to the US Congress on the Undocumented, John Deasy T.D., will once again work together to ensure the passage of the Bill on this occasion.