THREE TDs hoping to travel toe Nigeria next weekend have still, not been told whether they will bed granted visas.
Ms Theresa Ahearn (Fine Gael), Mr Pat Gallagher (Labour) and Mr Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail) intend to spend a week in Nigeria meeting government representatives as well as human rights and pro democracy groups, Irish missionaries, religious leaders and political detainees.
It is understood that the Nigerian embassy in Dublin was told on April 4th that a delegation wished to travel, and formal visa applications were made on April 30th. The TDs have not yet received confirmation that they will be allowed to travel.
Nigeria has been subjected to sustained international criticism of its human rights record, particularly since the executions last year of writer Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other activists for the murder of four prominent Ogoni chiefs.
The Nigerian government has pledged to return the country to democracy by 1998.
Two Trocaire representatives, Mr Eamonn Meehan and Ms Annette Honan, plan to travel to Nigeria with the three deputies, who are members of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs.
According to Mr Meehan: "At this critical time in Nigeria's history it would be of great significance if Ireland could be the first EU country to succeed in sending a parliamentary delegation on a fact finding mission."