I wish to raise a matter that is not a party political one but which might be of some assistance to the Taoiseach and the Government. Last week I met a number of emigrant groups and the lobby for immigration reform in the United States. The Taoiseach will be aware of the plight of, and difficulties faced by, undocumented Irish people in the United States of America. During that meeting, the case of a young person who has been in the United States for a number of years was brought to my attention. Her brother died in Ireland, she was unable to return home and listened to the funeral mass over a telephone line. The problem is that many people find themselves in a very difficult position, being unable to return home for family occasions and so forth. The point must be made clearly, however, that such people are not looking for something for nothing. They want an opportunity and a rational method of earning citizenship in the United States, if that is where they want to live.

I raise the matter in a constructive sense today because the immigration Bills that have emerged from the US Senate and the House of Representatives are at variance with each other. In such cases, a conference is called between nominated members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to discuss the Bills. The conference to discuss the immigration Bills begins on 28 June. It may be brief or it may go on for some weeks.

I know that the Minister for Foreign Affairs was in the United States recently but it would be helpful if the Government, perhaps through the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, sent representatives of all parties, and none, in an all-island delegation. The SDLP could be included, if necessary, or any other party. Such a delegation could have a focused lobbying and information conversation with the nominated members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This would be helpful in demonstrating that the undocumented Irish are of no danger to the US economy or its security. An all-island presentation to the nominated members would be very helpful and I offer that as a constructive suggestion to augment the work currently being done.

I appreciate the question and the spirit in which it is put. An enormous effort has been made in the past 18 months on this issue, although that is not to take from those groups which have been involved for a much longer period. Last year we raised the issue with the President, Mr. Bush, and we did so again this year. We also worked with the lobby group over the past six to nine months.

The situation is quite fluid at the moment. The two Bills are quite different and there has been a great deal of discussion and lobbying about how they can be brought together. Effort is needed to get the decision made quickly. When I was in the United States two weeks ago, the view of the consul general and others in the lobby group was that we should try to secure a decision prior to the summer otherwise it will be put off into the autumn and the mid-term elections, which could force the legislation into next year. Our best chance is to secure a decision now. There has been some success with this recently. President Bush's statements on the last occasion when it was being voted on proved helpful.

I have no difficulty with the all-party group. It is helpful; anything that makes our case is welcome. There are, however, many difficulties. It has become increasingly relevant in the past 18 months to people on the hill. The Irish lobby group conducted a very successful campaign earlier this year and put its case in a professional way. Key people such as Senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Ted Kennedy have all been very helpful and constructive.

It is still unclear what will happen on 28 June. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was in touch with the ambassador about this issue and pushed the case when he was in the United States two weeks ago as well. Any effort we can make to keep the Irish case on the table is of great help. We should keep in touch with the authorities during the process.

I thank the Taoiseach for his response on an all-party representative group being able to lobby nominated members of Congress. Serious politics are being played about this matter in the United States. President Bush's statement is welcome — on one hand he supports increased security but on the other hand he supports the right to earn citizenship.

While an all-party delegation from here might not have any impact on the eventual direction of the Bill, a different view from the House of Representatives is epitomised when speaking to American Congressmen on homeland security and immigration. They have a very different view in some cases than when one says "we are talking here about Irish undocumented". In that sense it would be helpful that representatives from this House could make their case directly to those nominated.

In the event that the conference fails and it cannot agree on a compromise or way forward, and given that during the November mid-term elections, it will be an issue for both Republican and Democrat politicians could we put in place an arrangement to discuss a bilateral agreement between the US authorities and Ireland?

The best way to make progress is to make an effort before the summer. Taking the Bill that has been passed by the Senate and the Sensenbrenner Bill, we must try to find a compatible Bill which brings the two together, which is not easy because of their differing bases and the heated arguments over the topic. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was told that as the politics play out in this, we need to work closely with those watching the day to day activity, the embassy staff, Niall O'Dowd and Grant Lally, to see the best way to make our input.

We have made progress since the beginning of the year through our own lobby group because of the responsible way we have fought our case. To take the Sensenbrenner Bill and the Senate Bill and to put them together in one Bill in a short period could be difficult. Perhaps the meeting on 28 June could drag out. The difficulty is that it is not just an election year but there are differences in many places. Last week in California, it was the central issue in a victory for Republicans who took an aggressively negative stance.

We must keep in touch with everyone but try to use the Senate Bill as the basis because it suits us and would offer a road to permanent residency for Irish people like no other proposal. We can decide how best to put forward a delegation through our committee.