Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Yes. We have set out in our strategic review ways and means by which, short of granting citizenship entitlement, we could recognise people's Irish ancestry through certification of various kinds. The strategic review outlines ways and means by which we can develop networks beyond the Irish-American community. For Ireland, the Irish-American community should be used as a gateway to the wider American community.

Two great developments emerged from the peace process with regard to our relationship with the United States. First, thankfully, there is now highly informed public opinion on what contemporary, modern Ireland is about, on our objectives, on the way in which we do our business and on the way in which we intend to proceed down the democratic path. That is now accepted. Thankfully, we no longer have any significant element of our diaspora that is at variance with official Government policy on these matters. The circumstances that obtained heretofore comprised a great constraint on the development of our relationship with the diaspora and on how we could use the diaspora as a resource in comparison to how we can use it now. This is a highly significant change not only in the United States, but also in Britain, Australia and other parts of the world. Since people are highly informed and since our opinion does not differ from that of significant parts of the diaspora, we are in a position to use that diaspora far more positively than was the case in the past.

Second, the diaspora can provide a gateway to the wider American community. I do not refer simply to the benefits of developing the ethnic connection but also to the fact that the Irish-Americans, who are Americans themselves, can now become spokespersons for the modern Ireland in which we live today in terms of investment, trade, business and social networks and a range of areas. We have seen other ethnic groups in the United States develop particularly well and, therefore, it is not at all a question of resources but of ensuring that the links between Ireland and its diaspora are substantive, meaningful, relevant and mutually beneficial. That gives substance to the relationship. As I stated, those who try to reduce it to a sentimental one are way off the mark.

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