Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy the Government will take every opportunity to present that case. The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, will be in Washington at the end of the month. The ambassador, Anne Anderson, has already convened a stakeholder meeting in respect of the concerns that Ireland has in respect of Irish immigrants. The President has extended an invitation to the Taoiseach and the Vice President will be hosting the traditional St. Patrick's Day events. This is an opportunity for Ireland to exercise influence on the incoming Administration, as well as continuing to maintain the important contacts that have been a very important element of the Irish-US relationship over many years. New directions present challenges for us but we have seen that Ireland has been able and resilient in adapting to changes. We will prove again that in this situation we will adapt to the new environment and protect our citizens effectively though diplomatic and direct political channels.

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