ONE of the most successful aspects of the current drive for immigration reform is the manner in which the Irish government and the Irish lobby effort are working together.

While it may seem obvious that such a partnership is necessary, the facts are that for decades the Irish government and activist Irish American groups worked directly against each other, especially on the issue of Northern Ireland.

It is interesting to map out what has occurred and what the government and the Irish American community have achieved since the new partnership began.

The first fruit of the new relationship was the passage of the Morrison and Donnelly visa programs in the late 1908s-early ‘90s. For much of that particular fight the Irish government was in denial about how many Irish undocumented there were in the U.S. However, in fairness, they eventually came to their senses, and the Irish lobby and the Irish government together achieved a remarkable success with the visa programs.

The lessons learned in that battle paid off in spectacular fashion a few years later when the issue of American involvement in the Irish peace process arose.

It was clear in the past that the only people benefiting from the stand-off between Irish America and the Irish government were the British, who were only too happy to see a divide and rule era in Irish American politics.

That all changed in the run-up to the Gerry Adams visa which was a pivotal moment in the peace process and in the Irish American/Irish government relationship.

Albert Reynolds, the taoiseach (prime minister) at the time, was sufficiently pragmatic to set aside the old rivalries and back the Irish American concept of a visa for Adams in order to advance the peace process.

The combined efforts of the government and Irish America secured that visa for Adams, catapulted the Clinton administration into the process and ensured that for the first time in history there was an American role in securing peace.

In just the past few months we are seeing again the level of accomplishment that is possible when the activist Irish community and the Irish government pull together. It was actually the Irish government, alerted by pleas from constituents, who first recognized the severity of the undocumented issue as it affected Irish citizens.

Before the advent of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR), however, the government was having difficulty gaining traction on the issue in Washington for understandable reasons. American politicians, like those of any other country, are primarily responsive to those who represent their constituencies, and no foreign government can fit that bill.

With the advent of ILIR, however, the joint forces of the government and the organization have begun to make a huge impact on the issue, a fact acknowledged by Senator John McCain last Friday at an ILIR meeting in New York.

The visit of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to Washington on St. Patrick’s Day, where he continuously highlighted the need for a solution to the Irish undocumented issue, played a huge role in increasing the visibility on the matter, as did the presence of Irish Foreign Minster Dermot Ahern and the continuing hard work of the Irish Embassy and consulates.

It is no coincidence that in the 16 years since the Irish government and Irish America began to cooperate there have been far more notable achievements than in the decades that preceded that partnership.

We are hopefully seeing the benefit of the new relationship now on the issue of the Irish undocumented. It is clear that such cooperation is absolutely necessary in future too.