Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I ask the Taoiseach to ensure that the members of the Cabinet come to the House for the Order of Business. When the Taoiseach was first appointed to the Cabinet, it was obligatory for Ministers to come to the House for the Order of Business unless they were on Government business.

I would like to ask the Taoiseach about the comments he made on the Finance Bill on Friday, 8 February last. On that occasion, he appeared to downgrade the Government's forecast for economic growth to 2.5%. The Minister for Finance claimed in his budget that our economic growth would be 3% in GDP terms and 2.8% in GNP terms. In light of the latest EU economic report, can the Taoiseach clarify the Government's forecast for economic growth in 2008 in the context of the Finance Bill that is currently being considered?

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Ms Nancy Pelosi, was involved last week in a number of discussions within the Democratic caucus about limited immigration. I assume the Taoiseach is due to go to the US for St. Patrick's Day and subsequently to address the US Congress. The Minister for Foreign Affairs wrote to me recently to tell me that the Irish ambassador in Washington is engaged in continuous negotiations with American representatives about the undocumented Irish. Congressman Shuler has proposed the SAVE Act — HR 4008 — to require the mandatory deportation of 11 million people from the US. Are efforts being made by the Government to build on Speaker Pelosi's high level talks last week and to bring about limited immigration reform, arising from the decision that was made here?

I am delighted the Minister for happy families is back in the country again.

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