US Congressional delegation visits Ireland
Monday, June 29th, 2009A US delegation of seven Democratic and one Republican Congressmen is visiting Ireland this week to hold talks with Irish political leaders on a number of topics. Items on the agenda include immigration reform, the political situation in the North, and the global financial crisis.
The group is led by Congressman Richard Neal, chair of the Friends of Ireland Executive Committee in the US Congress, a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives that promotes Irish interests and trade and cultural links. They will meet with the Taoiseach and Tanaiste, opposition politicians, and the President during their week-long visit.
An Oireachtas spokesman said:
“During their visit the delegation will meet with key political leaders and examine issues such as the International Fund for Ireland, the case of the undocumented Irish in the US, the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, Ireland-US relations and the World Financial Crisis.�
There are six members of the Friends of Ireland Committee: Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, and Richard Neal of the House of Representatives, and Edward Kennedy, Chris Dodd, and Susan Collins in the Senate.
Related websites:
Mother writes of son’s impending emigration
Monday, June 29th, 2009Patricia Leahy has written an extremely powerful article in today’s Irish Times about her son’s upcoming emigration. Leahy herself moved to Ireland 28 years ago; she is the daughter of Irish emigrants who left for New York in the 1940s. Seven decades later, after being unemployed for a year, her son is following in her father’s footsteps.
Leahy knows that her son’s emigration isn’t likely to sunder his link with Ireland:
As for his future, whether he stays or returns to Ireland, I hope the experience for him makes him grow into a man he can be proud of. I also hope it will heighten an appreciation of his country, culture and kinship.
Maybe it already has. Since he made the decision to emigrate, his musical tastes have switched from rap, rock and house music to that of The Dubliners, The Furey Brothers and The Wolfe Tones.
I am quite sure that Ireland hasn’t lost another son.
A deeply moving piece.
Irish Times: Irishwoman’s Diary
Unemployment rate at 10.2% – CSO
Thursday, June 25th, 2009Ireland’s official unemployment rate is 10.2%, the highest since 1997; this is the highest since 1997. There were 158,500 fewer jobs in the year ending March, a 7.5% fall in employment, with construction industry employment falling by 28.6%. There were 1,965,600 people employed in Ireland in the first three months of 2009, with 222,900 unemployed.
The CSO will next month release the emigration figures for the year ending in April, but the figures show that the non-Irish national labour force shrank by 8% in the year to March, while there was only a 1% decline in the number of Irish nationals in the labour force. Unemployment among non-Irish nationals was at 14.7% in quarter one, while it was 9.4% for Irish nationals. Unemployment was highest among those aged 15 to 34.
Earlier this month, the CSO’s Live Register figures, which are calculated in a different way, showed that the unemployment rate for May was 11.8%.
Crosscare Migrant Project, CIIC publish J-1 information leaflet
Thursday, June 25th, 2009The Crosscare Migrant Project (formerly Emigrant Advice) has published its information leaflet for students going to the US on a J-1 visa this summer, while the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres has produced its predeparture leaflet containing information on social security numbers, accommodation, jobs and safe travelling.
The CMP leaflet warns students that this year, the US Department of State has warned that this summer’s job market will be weak, so preparation is more important than ever.
See the leaflets:
Rooney begins US ambassador confirmation hearings
Thursday, June 25th, 2009American businessman and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney has begun the Senate confirmation process to become the US ambassador to Ireland. The 76-year-old Republican, who supported Obama in the presidential elections, is a popular pick and reports say he could be confirmed next week.
He told yesterday’s confirmation hearing that he would travel widely throughout Ireland if he were confirmed, and would work on increasing American investment in Ireland and Irish investment in America. Rooney also discussed a proposed visa programme that would allow Irish people to work for two years in the US, and also discussed the issue of comprehensive immigration reform.
Rooney is also a co-founder of the Ireland Funds.
Related web pages:
- Pittsburgh Live: Rooney charming, full of ideas at hearing on envoy appointment
- The Hill: New York’s Irish King
White House says immigration reform now “difficult”
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009The White House acknowledged yesterday that immigration reform looks unlikely this year. Press secretary Robert Gibbs said, “I can see the president’s desire for it to happen, but understanding at the current – currently where we sit, the math makes that more difficult than – than the discussion”. Mr Gibbs said that Mr Obama hopes that “later this year that we can have the beginning of formal debate on that”.
He added that Mr Obama “hopes that immigration reform will happen soon, but doesn’t have a crystal ball as to when that might happen”.
Mr Gibbs’ comments follow Mr Obama’s comments on Thursday that he is “committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform as president of the United States”. He made the remarks at a prayer breakfast attended by Hispanic leaders. He also said:
“The American people believe in immigration. But they also believe that we can’t tolerate a situation where people come to the United States in violation of the law – nor can we tolerate employers who exploit undocumented workers in order to drive down wages. And that’s why we’re taking steps to strengthen border security, and we must build on those efforts.
“We must also clarify the status of millions who are here illegally, many who have put down roots. For those who wish to become citizens, we should require them to pay a penalty and pay taxes, learn English, go to the back of the line, behind those who played by the rules. That is the fair, practical and promising way forward. And that’s what I’m committed to passing as president of the United States.”
Mr Obama will host a bipartisan meeting on the topic on Thursday – a meeting which has been twice postponed. Â It has been widely reported that the president is prioritising health care reform and the economic crisis over immigration reform.
Related websites:
- Rollcall.com: White House  Says Immigration Reform Unlikely in ’09
- Swamppolitics.com: Immigration form: Obama ‘committed’