The key phrase that need concern us is "Irish associations". The effect of section 16(a) is to give the Minister extraordinary powers to grant Irish citizenship to anyone at all who can claim "Irish associations". One might well ask what this phrase means. When this legislation was being put in place in 1956, several Members of the Oireachtas were appalled by its breadth and vagueness. I like the suggestion made at the time that "if an Arab in Cairo drinks a glass of Irish whiskey", he could claim to have "Irish associations". Another example was given of an Asian playing in an Irish band in New York.