Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

Last evening, I attended an all-party committee meeting chaired by Deputy John Cregan to discuss the role of the friends of the undocumented Irish in the United States and how best we can make progress on this issue. I commend Deputy Cregan's efforts in this regard. Members should press ahead with the current bipartisan approach. I have also discussed this issue with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, who has made a number of trips to the United States to lobby on behalf of the Irish in America. We should invite the Minister to the House to debate Deputy Cregan's initiative which has been debated in the Lower House. Such a debate would give Senators an opportunity to show support for the bipartisan approach and identify how best to proceed.