The Dáil backed attempts to give legal status to undocumented Irish in the US, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, who added that said the matter was one of deep concern to the Government and to members of the Oireachtas.
Immigration reform, he said, was now a pressing priority on the US domestic political agenda, and the all-party motion reflected the House's collective support for the comprehensive and bipartisan approach to immigration reform proposed by Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator John McCain and their colleagues in the House of Representatives.
"Its provisions, if enacted, would enable undocumented people, including the undocumented Irish, to participate fully in the life of their adopted home free from fear and uncertainty," he added.
Mr Ahern said he had raised the Government's concerns on the undocumented Irish on each of his visits to the US since becoming Minister for Foreign Affairs.
"Emigration is a central theme of the Irish experience. Generations of our people were all too familiar with the searing pain of separation, loss and isolation," he said.
"Communities throughout this island were left stagnant as their youth sought sought economic opportunities elsewhere. The 'haemorrhaging' of our young was accepted by many as the depressing norm."
Aengus Ó Snodaigh (SF, Dublin South Central) said the situation of undocumented Irish living in the US had been a continuous major concern to his party.
"If the Kenny-McCain Bill is passed, it will resolve much of this situation," he added. "And it is right and proper that we promote such a move together."
