Ahern lobbies the US for immigration
reform
 Irish Foreign
Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern has made 16 transatlantic trips to the US
in two years to lobby for immigration reform.
Mr Ahern clocked up the air miles since he took up office at Iveagh House
after a Cabinet reshuffle in September 2004.
The Minister said that the months ahead would prove vital in securing
citizenship status for Irish illegals.
The government has renewed contacts with key US Congressional figures
since the mid-term elections held recently.
Mr Ahern said: “I will continue my active contact with Congressmen,
embassy and consular staff and will lobby hard for an acceptable solution
to the difficulties faced by the undocumented Irish.”
He has just returned from New York where he met with Irish lobby groups
including the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform which received 110,000
in government funding in 2006.
Members of Sinn Féin and the SDLP parties have also lobbied on
the issue in Washington in recent months.
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