Taoiseach hopes for weapons move in US visit

The Taoiseach leaves for a weeklong trip to the United States this morning hoping some progress can be made on decommissioning in a round of high-profile meetings in Washington. But he does not expect that a decision will be made on the issue while he is abroad.

On the eve of his departure, Mr Ahern said the St Patrick's Day celebrations by expatriate Irish communities presented unrivalled opportunities for them to focus the attention of key individuals and the media on important issues of concern to Ireland.

He had urged his Ministers to accommodate as many requests as possible for Government representatives at functions being hosted by the Irish diaspora to celebrate all things Irish and to promote the attractiveness of a modern, vibrant Ireland.

The Taoiseach's programme of engagements will start in San Jose, California, where, together with IDA executives, he will meet representatives of companies with significant operations in Ireland.

He will also launch Enterprise Ireland's new "silicon valley network", an electronic networking initiative for Irish companies doing business on the US west coast.

He will attend the Spirit of Ireland awards dinner tomorrow night. It is organised by the Dublin/San Jose City Committee which Mr Ahern was instrumental in establishing when he was Dublin's lord mayor.

The Taoiseach will attend the St Patrick's Day parade in San Francisco on Sunday. He will also deliver an address at the Commonwealth Club of California, the oldest public affairs forum in the US.

He will travel to Washington on Monday where he will engage in a round of high-profile political meetings with senior figures in the US administration, including the Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright. He is also expected to meet Senator Edward Kennedy and the Friends of Ireland ad-hoc group on Capitol Hill.

In keeping with tradition, Mr Ahern will present President Clinton with a bowl of shamrock in the White House on St Patrick's Day. With Northern leaders, he will attend the traditional lunch with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Speaker Hastert, on Capitol Hill.

He will return to the White House on St Patrick's evening to be the guest of honour at a reception hosted by President Clinton.