Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Lahart is entirely correct and this is an issue that has come across my desk as both the Minister and a Deputy. It is a cause of concern for many of our students. I have been engaging with the United States Embassy here and I have engaged with my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and asked that he politically escalate the matter. I welcome the fact that President Biden has appointed a new ambassador to Ireland - one of his first ambassadorial appointments - and I expect she will take up office shortly. I hope this will ensure that we have greater engagement on this. I am very conscious of the time sensitivities around this. I am liaising closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs to see if we can make progress and I will keep the Deputy informed.

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