Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin says he will travel to Washington, D.C. after the presidential election to continue lobbying efforts on behalf of the undocumented Irish, and to push for creation of a new E-3 visa program that would allow for a more extensive exchange of workers between Ireland and the U.S.

During an interview with the Irish Voice last Thursday in New York, where Martin was taking part in talks at the UN and also meeting with business leaders through Irish government agency Enterprise Ireland, the minister said talks with U.S. political leaders would continue "on a number of strands" in an effort to regularize the status of the estimated 50,000 undocumented residents of the U.S.

"We will do whatever we can for them. We are not giving up on them," Martin stressed.

Last Wednesday in Washington Martin officially announced the creation of a new, expanded J visa program that will allow a minimum of 20,000 Irish citizens, either students or recent graduates, to live and work in the U.S. for one year.

The development received a decidedly mixed reaction in New York's undocumented Irish community, with many perceiving that the government has given up on their plight.

Not true says Martin, though he doesn't underestimate how difficult it will be to secure a deal for those out of status. The situation post-election will, he feels, lead to a new way forward.

"(The new deal) is part of our overall approach to the immigration issue," said the minister. "We believe we need bilateral approaches as well as fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, and part of my day in Washington was to lobby for the undocumented, but also to work up proposals on how we can enhance our bilateral scenarios."

The Irish government sees comprehensive reform, one of the most contentious issues on the U.S. political landscape, as the way to solve the problems facing the undocumented.

When asked why those out of status should continue to hold out hope for such sweeping reform, especially as two high-profile congressional efforts toward that end in the past couple of years proved to be divisive failures, Martin said that circumstances can change.

"It was devastating for them," Martin said of the prior reform battles in the Senate. "But you don't take the option off the table either. Things can change, environments change. The two candidates have put (reform) into their proposals, but that said it will be difficult.

"Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen understands the issues. He was out here as a young person and has empathy with the undocumented. I understand too. I know people who are in this situation."

The new J program, Martin maintains, was created as a natural progression of other such deals that Ireland has with a number of other countries, including Australia, Japan and Argentina.

"I was a former minister for employment, and it always struck me as odd that we didn't have (a deal) with America," he said.

Discussions with the State Department were ongoing for the past several months, Martin said, and the text was agreed earlier this year.

The deal also allows for 5,000 Americans to live and work in Ireland for a year.

"There were 13,000 Irish who went to Australia last year under a similar arrangement and all returned home," said Martin. "It's a year out of college for many, and it's a great experience."

The minister also had discussions with a number of political contacts in Washington on an E-3 bilateral visa arrangement for Irish citizens.

Currently the U.S. extends E-3 visas to skilled citizens of Australia, Singapore and Chile which allow for employment in the U.S. on an indefinite basis.

"We sounded people out on that and so far it's positive," said Martin. "I don't want to raise expectations. We will work on that post-election and see where that gets us."

Not all of Martin's business in New York was political. He was guest of honor at an Irish American community reception hosted by Consul General Niall Burgess at the Irish Consulate on Friday night, and on Saturday he took part in a very special event, a birthday party at the Irish Arts Center to celebrate the lives of several Irish centenarians.