Though the doors of the White House will be closed to Sinn Féin leaders this St Patrick's Day for the first time in 10 years, the party's top leaders will be arriving in the United States next week for the usual rallies with supporters.
The question of whether Sinn Féin will apply to raise funds during their hectic round of St Patrick's Day events, as in previous years, is however in doubt following the Northern Bank robbery and the money-laundering scandal which has implicated several republicans. Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is due in the US on March 12th and will visit Cincinatti, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Cleveland, New York and Washington.
Martin McGuinness MP is scheduled to appear in Seattle, San Diego and Phoenix in the US and Calgary in Canada, according to advertisements in the Irish-American media, though this has not been confirmed.
South Belfast Assembly member Alex Maskey will be in Boston.
Sinn Féin representatives have to apply for visas each time they intend to raise funds in the US, and authorisation is given on a case-by-case basis. The Bush administration has been looking at the fundraising issue since Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern visited Washington two weeks ago and briefed US officials on alleged Sinn Féin knowledge of the Northern Bank robbery.
Some Irish-American figures believe it would not be in Sinn Féin's interests to make an issue of fundraising at present when applying for their US entry visas. In any event, the main Sinn Féin fundraising events in the US are in the autumn.
Permission for fundraising has been granted routinely since 1995 when then president Bill Clinton defied pressure from the UK and gave the go-ahead to Mr Adams.