Labour TD calls on Taoiseach to drive domestic immigration reform after US visit

Taoiseach Enda Kenny needs to drive reform of Ireland's immigration system after raising the issue of undocumented Irish with US President Barack Obama, a Labour TD has said.

Clare deputy Michael McNamara said Mr Obama might question what reform the Irish Government had carried out with regard to the situation of “illegal immigrants” here, who he said included American citizens.

The problem was “broader than direct provision”, he added.

“The Taoiseach is absolutely right to be advocating for the Irish in America, but the same thing needs to be done for the Americans and all other nationalities that are in that situation here,” Mr McNamara told The Irish Times.

“You can’t really go to America and tell them to reform their system when doing nothing about your own. It’s a bit rich.”

When Mr McNamara raised the issue with Mr Kenny during Order of Business in the Dáil on Tuesday, Mr Kenny said he had raised the issue of undocumented Irish in the US with Mr Obama and other senior figures and was “not in the slightest nervous”, as the Labour TD had contended.

Mr Kenny also said Judge Bryan McMahon was looking at the situation of asylum seekers or refugees “who are here for quite a long time”.

He added: “His report is expected to be furnished to the Minister by Easter, in the next few weeks”.

This week it emerged the Government raised the possibility of visa waivers that would allow illegal Irish in the US to travel back and forth to Ireland freely three weeks before the Taoiseach discussed the issue with Mr Obama.

Mr Kenny dampened hopes of a US visa deal for Irish illegals on the second day of his Washington visit.

He described as “a disappointment” the legal stalling of Mr Obama’s executive action designed to bypass the Republican-led Congress and aiming to protect up to five million illegal immigrants from deportation.