The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, has proposed an online database for illegal Irish emigrants living in the US after he was unable to answer a query by President Bush on the number of illegal Irish currently living there.
He said that Irish estimates of the number of illegal emigrants ranges from 20,000 to 50,000, whereas the US government estimate is 3,000.
Mr Ahern said he had to concede to President Bush on St Patrick's Day that he couldn't give an accurate estimate on the number of illegal Irish emigrants.
Under the database scheme, illegal Irish emigrants living in the US would enter their details anonymously on to a secure website operated by the Irish government.
The Minister hoped that the database would help the government get a fix on the quantity and profile of illegal emigrants.
However, Mr Ahern said that Irish emigrant lobby groups in the US were "pouring cold water on the idea" because they believed it was unworkable.
He made his comments at the end of a visit to New York to address a UN disarmament conference.
He said Irish American politicians had told him that Irish people living in the US were not being forceful enough in helping defeat the Real ID Act, tough new legislation that would stop many illegal emigrants from obtaining driver's licences.
The act is expected to be passed shortly by the Republicancontrolled Senate and House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael Spokesman on emigrant affairs, Mr Paul Connaughton TD, is leading a party delegation to New York and Washington this week to lobby for the Kennedy/McCain Immigration Act, which would allow illegal emigrants to achieve legal status and is expected to go before Congress next month.
He said there was a real fear among undocumented Irish emigrants that the Real ID Act would lead to their deportation before they had an opportunity to achieve legal status. Speaking in New York yesterday where the group visited the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre, Mr Connaughton said that it looked almost certain that Congress would pass the Real ID Act.
"It's going to be very, very difficult for the undocumented Irish because if you don't have your driver's licence you cannot work. We're talking to anyone who will listen, including the New York police department because the Real ID Act won't solve the problem of the undocumented from any country," he said.
The delegation departed for Washington last night where it is to meet with Democratic and Republican politicians. It will also meet with the European Union ambassador to the US and former Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton.