February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Kenny briefed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, which has lately been focusing on the plight of the undocumented Irish.
Kenny had been due to meet the committee last month but pulled out on the grounds that the meeting would have been open to the press and public
Last week’s briefing was in private, but its contents were later leaked to the press.
Reports stated that Kenney had told the committee that the Bush administration was considering legislation that would permit the undocumented with an otherwise clean record, Irish included, to reveal themselves, own up to their lack of status, and pay a fine, after which they would qualify for three-year temporary visas.
Ultimately, those who qualified under these conditions would have a chance of legal status in the U.S.
Kenny had requested a private session with the TDs on the grounds that he did not want to discusses individual cases in public.
His comments to the committee threw light on an emerging White House plan for immigration reform, one of several swirling around the U.s. capital.
And though immigration reform of any stripe is still seen as being at least months away, Kenny’s reported comments sparked instant reaction among undocumented Irish.
“The phones were going mad,” said Thomas Keown of the Irish immigration Center in Boston.
“Unfortunately, we had to tell callers that what was discussed at the committee meeting in Dublin were mere proposals in Washington right now, that no amnesty was imminent, and that it would be a long time before anything became law.
“But it’s a good thing that immigration is being talked about by both parties here.”
Said Siobhan Dennehy of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in New York: “We were inundated with phone calls and inquiries on our Web site.
“We were delighted to hear that the subject of immigration was being discussed and we applaud the efforts of the Oireachtas committee and the U.S. ambassador, but to our knowledge there is nothing definite yet. We are waiting for legislation to come before the Senate.”
Sens. Edward Kennedy and John McCain are currently working on a bipartisan immigration reform bill that could emerge by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, fresh from their meeting with Ambassador Kenny, members of the foreign affairs committee said they were planning to travel to the U.S. later this year to investigate the situation facing the undocumented Irish and to meet with members of Congress to discuss the prospects for immigration reform.
No date for the visit has been set, but reports stated that it could take place before the summer, possibly as early as May.
Attempts to reach a U.S. embassy spokesperson were unsuccessful by presstime.