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Undocumented Irish in the USA

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 July 2013

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Questions (139, 166)

Brendan Smith

Question:

139. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he has taken to ensure that the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 is supported in the US Congress and in particular in the US House of Representatives; his views on the legislation's progress thus far; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34185/13]

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Tom Fleming

Question:

166. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the plight of the undocumented Irish in the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35308/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 166 together.

I very much welcome the adoption earlier this month by the US Senate to approve a bill that provides for comprehensive reform of the American immigration system. This is a very positive development that takes us another step closer towards addressing the problems faced by undocumented Irish emigrants in the US and will allow them to emerge from the shadows. I strongly welcome the provisions in the Bill passed by the Senate to address the concerns of our undocumented and the specific E3 provisions for Ireland that provide extensive legal pathway for future migration flows between Ireland and the US.

I am particularly pleased that the Bill includes provisions that will allow for continuation of the summer J1 visa programme. Earlier drafts of the bill had threatened the future viability of the programme. I raised these concerns directly with Senator Patrick Leahy, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I am pleased that the Bill as passed by the Senate no longer classifies J1 summer participants as foreign workers, which would have imposed significant additional requirements on them and their potential employers. Earlier texts had also proposed a further fee of $500 to be paid by the sponsoring organisations; the Bill as passed introduces a fee of $100, and the conditions surrounding payment of this fee would allow for it to be paid by either the sponsoring organisation or the participant.

I pay tribute to hard work and persistence of Senators Leahy, Schumer, McCain and other members of the US Senate bipartisan group who brought forward the original proposals. I also welcome the considerable bipartisan support that has emerged in support of the Senate bill and hope that this bodes well for its further prospects.

The prospects for a successful outcome remain uncertain as the focus now moves to the House of Representatives. To reinforce Ireland’s interest in the issue, I visited Washington DC last week where I met with a range of Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen from both parties. I met with a range of the most significant Congressional leaders on immigration issues from both sides of the US political divide, including Chairman Peter King (R-New York) and Cong. Richard Neal (D-Massachusetts) of the Friends of Ireland Congressional Group; Cong. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), Chair of House Budgetary Committee; Cong. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), Chair of House Judiciary Committee and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D- Calif) and Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator John McCain among others. I also raised immigration reform at senior official level in the White House. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my appreciation for the active support we continue to receive from a number of Irish community organisations, some of whom I met during my Washington visit. In pressing to secure a solution for the undocumented, we continue to work closely with them. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through the Emigrant Support Programme, has provided funding to a number of organisations active in this area.

We will closely follow developments over the coming weeks, and will co-ordinate closely with our friends in Congress, the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Irish community groups in the US.

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