Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 November 2016
186. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the initiatives he proposes to undertake with the new Administration and Congress in the United States in relation to regularising the status of the undocumented Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35636/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAchieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US and agreement on a facility for future legal migration between Ireland and the US have been and will remain key objectives for the Government. The Government is committed to working constructively with the new Administration when it assumes its responsibilities on January 20th. In the meantime, we will avail of all opportunities during the transition period to sensitise the incoming Administration to our concerns on immigration related matters. The Government continues to believe that progress on this issue will also require intensive work on a bi-partisan basis in both Houses of Congress, an approach we will continue to take once the new Congress takes office in the New Year.
I most recently raised the question of immigration reform, including relief for undocumented Irish citizens in the United States, during my meeting with US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, on 30 October. While Secretary of State Kerry does not carry policy responsibility for immigration reform, he was personally very sympathetic to the plight of the undocumented Irish and was hopeful that progress could be made in the future.
I also availed of my visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September to meet Irish community leaders in the United States, to discuss with them the prospects for achieving immigration reform and to reassure them of the Government’s commitment to the issue. In addition, Minister of State McHugh met representatives of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, representing a broad group of Irish centres across the United States, in New York on 20 September. That meeting was also attended by Senator Billy Lawless of Seanad Éireann.
The Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy in Washington continue to work closely with Irish American community leaders in actively pursuing all viable opportunities to advance immigration reform. There is little prospect of the comprehensive reform that we seek being achieved within the lifetime of the outgoing Congress and the current policy platform of the Trump campaign would not suggest that it will be an immediate priority for the incoming Administration. Nevertheless, our Ambassador and Embassy staff in Washington DC are working with their contacts on both sides of the political aisle to assess the basis for a renewed initiative once a new Administration and Congress have been established in Washington DC.
