In a rare move, the Dáil has voted in favor of an immigration reform bill that is still pending on Capitol Hill.

And the positive vote for the McCain/Kennedy bill has been welcomed on this side of the Atlantic.

The Dáil last week gave its unanimous stamp of approval to an all-party motion expressing support for the bipartisan measure that is currently stalled before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Irish Senate, the Seanad, also backed the motion, which was placed before the Dáil by Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern.

Ahern is expected to visit the United States in a few days to emphasize his concern for the undocumented Irish, a group which his government estimates at 25,000 in number.

After the Dáil vote, which took place on Oct. 6, Ahern met with the Bishop of Derry and chairman of the Irish Bishops' Commission for Emigrants, Dr. Séamus Hegarty, to discuss how best to help the undocumented Irish.

Meanwhile, the Dáil endorsement was immediately welcomed by one of the reform bill's co-sponsors.

"I'm honored that the Irish people support the McCain-Kennedy Immigration bill," Sen. Edward Kennedy said. "Our immigration laws need to be fixed and we can't continue to have undocumented people living here as second class citizens, exploited by unscrupulous employers and separated from their families. This bill offers a practical solution to bring them out of the shadows, obtain work permits and be reunited with their families as permanent residents," he added.

The Dáil motion stated that Dáil Eireann was "very concerned" at the plight of undocumented Irish people "living in difficult circumstances" in the United States.

The motion welcomed the "high priority" being given by President Bush and Congress to addressing the issue of immigration reform.

It recognized "in particular" that the undocumented Irish were unable to return to Ireland for visits and that this imposed significant hardship on their families in Ireland, including, in many cases, elderly parents.

It additionally recognized that the undocumented Irish were making a valuable contribution to U. S. economic and social life.

The motion noted that there were a number of reform bills before congress and expressed deep appreciation to the "many members of congress" who were making efforts to resolve the difficulties facing the undocumented Irish.

Most significantly, the motion expressed its "strong support" for the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act introduced in the Senate earlier this year by Sens. Kennedy and John McCain, and in the House of Representatives by Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake.

In his statement to the Dáil upon introducing the motion, Minister Ahern said that the situation facing the undocumented Irish was one of deep concern.

"Today's debate and all-party motion reflects this House's collective support for the comprehensive and bipartisan approach to immigration reform proposed by Senator Kennedy, Senator McCain and their colleagues in the House of Representatives," Ahern said.

Referring to the undocumented, Ahern said that though the numbers affected today were much less than in the past, the individual experience of isolation and uncertainty remained the same.

"Comprehensive immigration reform is fast becoming a leading priority for President Bush and legislators in Congress. This increased engagement is encouraging," Ahern said.

He said that the fact that there was no firm figure for the current number of undocumented said a lot about the nature of the problem.

"The undocumented stay below the radar, fearful of detection. We have heard of various estimates. A figure of 3,000 undocumented Irish people has been estimated by U.S. authorities, but this certainly seems to be a low estimate.

"Some in the Irish community in the United States consider that the numbers may be as high as 50,000. The true figure is probably closer to 25,000," Ahern said.

"Overall," he added, "the essential problem of the undocumented is not its size. It is the nature of the undocumented experience, rather than the number, that should be our focus.

"For the undocumented, the stress of separation, the strain and anxiety of living in the shadows, and the deep sadness of being unable to return to Ireland to visit aging parents, or to attend family occasions such as weddings or funerals, remains very traumatic.

"These people work hard. They contribute positively to their communities and to their adopted country. They rightly take pride in their achievements.

”They are anxious to have the opportunity to come out of the shadows and regularize their status. They deserve our support and the support of the Irish people, "Ahern said.

He acknowledged that the challenge facing U.S. legislators was to secure consensus around a comprehensive set of reforms that addressed both the situation facing the undocumented, and the need for increased border security.

Fine Gael spokesperson on Emigrant Affairs, Paul Connaughton, broadly supported the motion but said he was concerned that the size of the undocumented Irish population was being "hugely underestimated."

Connaughton said he believed the total was nearer to the 50,000 estimate.

Fellow Fine Gael TD, Jimmy Deenihan, also leaned towards that number.

"The figure may be less, but it may also be a lot more," the Kerry deputy said.

Sinn Féin foreign affairs spokesman, Aengus O Snódaigh, said his party's concern for the undocumented centered around the vulnerability of what was an isolated group of Irish citizens.

"In particular we lament the effective exile of this group from Ireland and from their families here. This exile results from the very real fear that if they return here for a visit, a holiday, a wedding or a funeral they will be unable to re-enter the United States where they've built a life for themselves, albeit an uncertain life," O Snódaigh said.

Meanwhile, the reaction to the vote from Irish immigrant advocates in the United States was positive.

"We welcome the Irish government's efforts to support this legislation. The bill, if passed, would provide opportunities for U.S. employers to get the workers they need and allow immigrants to regularize their status, work legally and seek a better life for themselves and their families," said San Francisco-based Bart Murphy, president of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers.

"It is a win-win situation for employers and workers," Murphy said.

He said that to know that the Irish government cared and was ready to lend support to Senators Kennedy and McCain helped to reassure and encourage those thousands of Irish immigrants living without status in the United States.

"We're delighted," was the reaction of Siobhan Dennehy, executive director of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in New York.