Thread: Ahern to leave for St Patrick's Day US visit

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0313/ahernb.html

Ahern to leave for St Patrick's Day US visit

13 March 2006 07:37
The Taoiseach leaves for the United States later today for a five-day visit culminating in the traditional presentation of a bowl of shamrock to the US President, George W Bush, on Friday.

Bertie Ahern will also visit San Jose in California for a number of trade related engagements, and to mark the 20th anniversary of the city's twinning with Dublin.

The St Patrick's Day celebrations in the White House have now become an established tradition, giving Irish politicians access to the very highest level of the US political system.

Ian Paisley of the DUP has turned down his invitation to the event on Friday, although the leaders of Northern Ireland's four other main parties will be attending.

In any case, Northern Ireland will be less prominent as an issue this year - the main political focus will be on efforts to help illegal Irish immigrants in the US.

The Taoiseach will be encouraging those efforts in his meeting with Mr Bush, and in a series of events on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

But the first part of his visit, which begins later today, will be to San Jose in California, which was twinned with Dublin two decades ago when Mr Ahern was Lord Mayor.

He will be meeting a number of business leaders from Silicon Valley, with the aim of strengthening links with the Irish economy.

presentation of a bowl of SHAMrock to the US President, George W Bush,

http://www.examiner.ie

16/03/06
Ahern tries to lift deportation threat to illegal Irish in US

By Shaun Connolly
TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern today moved to lift the deportation threat hanging over 25,000 illegal Irish immigrants in the US with a hectic round of lobbying in Washington DC.

He was holding talks with senior Congressional figures ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with US President George W Bush as he pressed the case for the undocumented Irish workers.

However, Mr Ahern admitted it was a tough battle in light of Ireland’s strong home economy.

“It’s very contentious. A lot of the Irish who are undocumented came out here in the 1970s and 1980s when unemployment was 18%. Their children have grown up in America and their roots are in America. These people are being harassed. They can’t go home to weddings and funerals,” he said.

The Taoiseach was meeting Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain to show support for their immigration reform bill, which would allow the Irish illegals to remain and work in the US and eventually qualify for permanent residency.

The immigrants have found life increasingly difficult in the wake of the post-9/11 security clampdown in America as they can no longer renew driving licences needed for work or secure health insurance.

Mr Ahern intends to raise the issue tomorrow in talks with Mr Bush.

The president is believed to favour a programme that would allow people to work for six years only in the US and then be forced to return home.