Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2023
120. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if progress has been made on establishing an E3 visa agreement between Ireland and the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34314/23]
View answerSecuring future immigration flows between Ireland and the United States continues to be a Government priority. This matter is raised with the U.S. Administration and with U.S. political representatives on an ongoing basis. During my visit to Washington last February, I raised the question of access to visas with politicians on both sides of the aisle. During my St. Patrick's Day visit to New York and Massachusetts earlier this year, I discussed ongoing efforts in Congress to secure legal immigration pathways with Congressman Richie Neal.
The bipartisan reintroduction of the E3 bill last year in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives was welcome. However, the bill lapsed with the conclusion of the last session of Congress at the end of 2022. The Government strongly advocated for this proposal which, if passed, would bring about new two-way traffic between Ireland and the United States that could impact positively on economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties. New immigration flows would also reinvigorate Irish communities across the United States and, overall, add to the vibrancy of our sizeable Irish diaspora in the U.S.
While the Government continues to support efforts to get an ‘Irish specific’ category of E3 visa, the challenges to enactment should not be underestimated. Almost every U.S. legislative proposal related to immigration reform in the last decade has stalled in Congress. Nonetheless, I will continue to take all opportunities to develop new immigration pathways for Irish people who wish to live and work in the United States.
