Five TDs are to travel to the US next week to lobby in favour of the proposed Kennedy/McCain legislation which aims to regularise the status of undocumented Irish people in the US.
The delegation are all members of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee and include committee chairman Michael Woods, vice-chair Michael Mulcathy, PD deputy Liz O'Donnell, Labour deputy Micheal D Higgins and Fine Gael deputy Bernard Allen.
Deputy Mulcahy said the next few weeks would be very important for undocumented Irish in the US and that was why the delegation was going to Washington.
The delegation plans to hold a number of meetings including with the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security Peter King. However, Deputy Mulcathy admitted he was relatively pessimistic that the Kennedy/McCain bill would be passed as the atmosphere in the US had become significantly more security conscious.
Deputy Higgins said the number of undocumented Irish varies between 5,000 to 40,000 people.
"The Irish affected are forced to live in the shadows. They run considerable risks of a health, social and economic kind. They are not free to return home for family events, births, deaths or funerals," said Deputy Higgins.
He added that new legislation such as the Sensenbrenner Bill, which concentrates on the control of immigration has created new difficulties associated with even possessing a driving licence.
"The timing of the visit of the delegation is vital. The Senate Judiciary Committee will reach a summation next week and then there will be an attempt to reach an agreement between the Senate and the House of Representatives," said Deputy Higgins.
The delegation will depart on Monday the 27 thand return on Friday 31 stof March.