Ahern says progress being made on US immigrant reforms

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said he believes good progress is being made on US moves to regularise the status of illegal immigrants, including tens of thousands of Irish citizens.

Mr Ahern was speaking in New York at the start of his annual St Patrick's Day visit to the US.

He said he had been assured by American politicians like Senator Ted Kennedy that more progress is expected be made in the coming year.

Today, the Taoiseach is due to meet Irish emigrant groups who have been lobbying for reforms to grant residency rights to the estimated 50,000 Irish people living illegally in the US.