US Ambassador won't attend Oireachtas Committee meeting

The US Ambassador to Ireland has snubbed tomorrow's meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs.

James Kenny was due to face questions from TDs and Senators about the plight of illegal Irish emigrants in America.

However, the Ambassador has informed the Committee that he will not be attending.

In a statement issued this evening ambassador Kenny asked that the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs to defer the planned Tuesday meeting due to an misunderstanding about the venue and the format of the discussion.

It also states, Ambassador Kenny is fully prepared to meet with TDs, Senators and other Irish officials to discuss this and other important issues, but the policy is for Ambassadors to meet with Parliament representatives only on an informal basis.