Taoiseach hopes Obama will help Irish undocumented

Taoiseach Enda Kenny says he hopes US President Barack Obama will allow "stranded" undocumented Irish to travel to and from Ireland while on the path to American citizenship.

Speaking at Croke Park in Dublin this afternoon, Mr Kenny said he was looking forward to Mr Obama’s announcement tonight on his plans to change the US immigration system.

“We want to see a situation where there is a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the United States including the 50,000 that we have here from Ireland.

“But one point that I think is very important for Irish emigrants who are immigrants to the United States is while that pathway is being set up that they would have the right to come home and the right to travel back.”

Mr Kenny indicated he and Mr Obama discussed the matter last March in Washington.

“I would like to see the president include the right to travel home and back while people set about the path to citizenship. If they want to be citizens of the US and they pay their social security and they pay their taxes I feel that’s an issue with Irish people and the diaspora have made that point very strongly to me.”

The Taoiseach said he recently opened a family room in a hospital, and one feature of the room was a large screen for people who are undocumented and can not travel when somebody dies at home. “That’s a sad fact,” he said.

“I look forward to the president’s announcement very much indeed,” he added.

Mr Kenny was speaking after attending an Comhairle na nÓg event.