Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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8. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he plans to engage with the new US Administration with a view to ensuring the continuation of the J1 USA visa programme for 2025 and beyond, given its importance to thousands of Irish students every year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3836/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland and the US enjoy deep and strong bilateral relations. As is outlined in the new Programme for Government, it is a priority for Ireland to strengthen our political, cultural, economic and trade relationship with the US at all levels, recognising the unique significance of the mutually beneficial relationship between us.

An element of these important reciprocal relationships are the many strong people-to-people links between American and Irish people, including those supported through travel exchanges between our two countries. One of the most prominent of these is the J1 Student Work and Travel Programme. Thousands of Irish students avail of the J1 visa to travel and work in the US every year.

The Government recognises the importance of this reciprocal scheme in allowing Irish and American students to work and travel in each other's countries. We look forward to continuing our strong and trusted relationship with the US in respect of this scheme, including with the new US administration.