Minister to discuss undocumented Irish in US

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin will hold high-level meetings on the undocumented Irish in Washington DC today.

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin will hold high-level meetings on the undocumented Irish in Washington DC today.

The minister will meet senior members of Congress including former presidential candidate Senator John McCain and Friends of Ireland chairman Congressman Richie Neal.

Mr Martin will also take part in talks with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform.

Other issues up for discussion include the Lisbon Treaty referendum, Northern Ireland and the recent Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh.

The minister will later travel to New York for the inaugural meeting of the Ireland-US leadership Council.

It brings together leaders of the main Irish-American groups with a national reach in business, community and cultural fields.

On Friday Mr Martin will hold a business breakfast for 60-70 invited guests at Ireland House, close to the embassy.

Guests include key clients of the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and figures in the New York business world.

A reception will be hosted by the Government for local Irish community organisations while the minister will also visit a project in Rockland County where the state has joined with the GAA in funding the development of the local sports grounds.

On Saturday, Mr Martin will attend an interfaith service on Staten Island Irish famine emigrants who died while quarantined on arrival in New York.

Fine Gael's community, rural & Gaeltacht affairs spokesman Michael Ring expressed his hope for a successful outcome.

"There have been many false dawns for the undocumented Irish but I hope the positive signals from the President (Obama) and the challenge of increasing emigration can lead to progress soon," he said.

"I welcome the Foreign Affairs Minister’s efforts and urge the Irish Government to continue to use every diplomatic initiative it can to keep this issue a priority."

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