Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. That is very useful advice to us to go into the Department of public expenditure in future and make the argument that these are investments in Ireland Inc., not expenditure. His points are very well made. Integrity is very important in respect of passports.

Regarding the Mitchell scholarships, I will pursue that. That was in honour of George Mitchell's role in the peace process. We established it at the time of President Clinton's visit to Ireland. Dick Riley was then US Secretary of Education and we struck up a good friendship. Both Governments provided an endowment of sorts, but not of a huge amount I would readily acknowledge, for funding at that stage to establish the Mitchell scholarship. As a result, hundreds of American graduates have come to Ireland who, in time, will become and are now friends of Ireland and who are in leadership positions in America and in all aspects of American life. I think Trina Vargo was the person who led the charge in respect of that. I will talk to my officials about that and across Government. It may fall to a new Government to develop that.