The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today appealed to US President George W Bush to 'find a path' that would allow illegal Irish immigrants in the US to legalise their status.
Mr Ahern was speaking at the Shamrock Ceremony in the White House where he presented Mr Bush with the traditional shamrock.
"On this St. Patrick's Day, mindful of the resonance that this great issue commands for Ireland and its people, I would like to express the hope that a path may be found to enable current Irish immigrants to legalise their status in the US on a permanent basis. I hope they can realise their dream of stable and secure lives for themselves and their families in this great country," he said.
The Taoiseach said Ireland and the US enjoyed 'an extraordinary and very special relationship.'
"We remember on this day that the strength of today's relationship is made possible by the hard sacrifices of generations of Irish immigrants," he added.
Mr Ahern also thanked Mr Bush for his support for the peace process in Northern Ireland and said 'real progress' had been made since last St Patrick's Day.
"After decades of denying the will of the Irish people, the IRA announced the end of its armed campaign and the decommissioning of its weapons. These were long-awaited, landmark, historic developments," he said.
"Both Prime Minister Blair and I are determined that 2006 will be a decisive year in completing the journey of peace that we have embarked on. We are at one on our objective and on our strategy."
"I welcome your invitation to the Northern Ireland political parties to be here today and the fact that you have also extended an invitation to many others tragically affected by violence or working for a better future for everyone in Ireland," he added.
Mr Ahen also applauded the work of US Special Envoy Mitchell Reiss and the US ambassador James Kenny.