Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2004
112 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the United States and particularly his discussions with US politicians regarding the position of undocumented illegals from this country in the United States. [9905/04]
View answerDuring my visit to Washington, I discussed the situation and status of Irish immigrants in the United States with a number of prominent US politicians on 2 March. I met with Senator Chuck Hagel who, together with Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic Leader in the Senate, has recently initiated a Bill in Congress which would enable undocumented foreign nationals in the US to legalise their status if they fulfilled certain conditions. This initiative followed the announcement by President Bush of his proposal, Fair and Secure Immigration Reform, which also seeks to address the situation of undocumented foreign workers in the US.
I welcomed the Daschle-Hagel initiative which I see as a constructive effort to deal with the situation of the undocumented in the United States in a pragmatic and compassionate way. I had previously welcomed President Bush's initiative when it was announced in January. Each of these initiatives will have to follow the legislative paths within Congress. However, I was delighted to have this early opportunity to flag our concerns about the position of Irish immigrants in the US.
I also met with Senator Edward Kennedy who has been working on proposals for an immigration initiative. He indicated that he is still considering the Daschle-Hagel Bill and has not yet decided whether to proceed with his own Bill in the matter. I will continue to monitor the progress of these initiatives closely in the coming months.
