Mediaboss Marketing

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny presents US President Barack Obama with a large pot of shamrocks to mark St. Patrick's Day. Video: Reuters

Speaker of the House John Boehner, US president Barack Obama and Taoiseach Enda Kenny after they attended the St Patricks Day lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Simon Carswell, Mary Minihan

Taoiseach Enda Kenny used his annual St Patricks Day trip to Washington to press for help for illegal Irish immigrants but said there was an issue around lifting long-term travel bans stopping undocumented people travelling back and forth to Ireland.

Speaking at the annual St Patricks Day breakfast for Mr Kenny hosted by vice-president Joe Biden, the Taoiseach said the issue of immigration reform may well be somewhat intractable.

Later, after meeting US president Barack Obama at the Oval Office, Mr Kenny described as a disappointment the legal stalling of Mr Obamas executive action designed to bypass the Republican-led Congress and aiming to protect up to five million illegal immigrants from deportation.

The Irish Times takes no responsibility for the content or availability of other websites.

The measures were expected to assist illegal Irish unable to return home for family occasions such as weddings and funerals and emergencies without being blocked on their return to the US.

In the Oval Office, Mr Kenny said that he discussed with Mr Obama the possibility of visa waivers that would allow illegal immigrants to return to Ireland without facing three- or 10-year travel bans for illegally overstaying old visas on their return to the US.

Legal route

Follow this link:
Taoiseach dampens hopes of US visa deal for Irish illegals