▁Ted ▁Kennedy ▁and ▁Alan ▁Sim pson , ▁a ▁system atic ▁campaign ▁of ▁advoc acy ▁that ▁regular ised ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁und ocument ed ▁Irish ▁citizens ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁( gener ally ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" I r ish ▁Il leg als "). ▁In ▁his ▁capacity ▁as ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁Mexico ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁arr anging ▁comm em oration ▁of ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁Mexico ' s ▁Irish ▁Brigade , ▁the ▁Bat all ón ▁de ▁San ▁Pat ric io , ▁a ▁role ▁he ▁was ▁to ▁repr ise ▁when ▁he ▁accompanied ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁Ireland , ▁Mary ▁Mc A le ese ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁when ▁she ▁laid ▁a ▁w re ath ▁at ▁the ▁Battalion ▁mem orial ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁a ▁state ▁visit ▁to ▁Mexico . ▁▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Irish ▁P erman ent ▁Represent ative ▁( Am b assador ) ▁to ▁the ▁European ▁Union . ▁There , ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁two ▁members ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁P erman ent ▁Representatives ▁or ▁CO RE PER , ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁a ▁political ▁director ▁in ▁his ▁foreign ▁service ▁( and ▁thus ▁a ▁former ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁E EC ' s ▁political ▁committee , ▁where ▁earlier ▁mult il ater al ▁am end ments ▁to ▁the ▁treat ies ▁had ▁been ▁negoti ated ), ▁he ▁ ▁was ▁considered ▁particularly ▁effective ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁Irish ▁negoti ator ▁of ▁the ▁Ma astr icht ▁Tre aty