Visa vision

And in an address to a large and enthusiastic crowd at a reception hosted by the Irish Consulate in New York last week, Cowen pledged to make the visa and immigration issue a priority for his government.
Speaking at the reception in the lobby of the Park Avenue building that houses the consulate, Cowen said that “this issue is a priority for me in the months and years ahead.”
His comments were met with strong applause.
Cowen had just concluded a meeting with representatives of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers and the Irish Lobby Lobby for Immigration Reform.
That meeting prompted what an ILIR statement described as a “a hearty
thumbs-up” for the new taoiseach.
ILIR vice-chairman, Ciaran Staunton, said Cowen had ushered in a new
era in the Irish American relationship.
“We’ve worked with Mr. Cowen before when he set up the task force on
Irish immigrants,” Staunton said.
“He knows his stuff, he knows this issue, and what we really like
about him is that he really understands this whole idea of Irish
America.”
Cowen told the ILIR delegation, one that included Staunton, the group’s chairman Niall O’Dowd, and former congressman Bruce Morrison, that Irish immigration to the U.S. was an issue that would be a priority for his government.
Under current regulations it is virtually impossible for Irish nationals who want to live and work in America to secure a green card.
Critically, Cowen also addressed the matter of U.S. nationals living and working in Ireland, itself a difficult proposition for American citizens.
He told Irish immigrant representatives that the relationship between both counties “should be strong enough to accommodate a solution.”
“We have a responsibility to continue to lobby and do so as
effectively as we possibly can,” he said. And he said the Irish government
was prepared to look at a “reciprocal” visa arrangement with the U.S.
“We can perhaps be more proactive on our side in making sure that more Americans, who want to come and visit and work in Ireland, get the chance to do so as well.”
In this context, Cowen has asked Ireland’s ambassador to the U.S., Michael Collins, to prepare “a comprehensive assessment” of what he called “the new
opportunities for the future development of our relationship for
consideration by the government.”
The assessment would be completed by the end of this year and, said Cowen. “I believe that this work will also prove invaluable in informing wider
initiatives to harness to the power of the Irish Diaspora across the
world,” he added.
Cowen met with the chairman of the Friends of Ireland in Congress, Rep. Richie Neal after which Neal said the discussions had “centered upon where we might go, coupling immigration with economics and how that might play out in the coming months.”
In his address at the reception, where he was introduced by Consul General Niall Burgess, Cowen paid tribute to the Gaelic Athletic Association as “another
stalwart organization” of the immigrant Irish.
“Gaelic Park is a veritable home from home,” he said. “I particularly salute and appreciate the GAA’s work for the undocumented Irish.”
Cowen, in what was his first official visit to the United States as
taoiseach, spoke of a new era in Irish-American relations.
“This is a new and exciting era in Ireland’s relationship with
America,” he said, adding that “this is a great opportunity for us to
strategically review what the agenda from now on has to be.”
Acknowledging the work of Irish America and the “constructive contribution” it brought to the growth of the Irish economy and the health of the peace process in Northern Ireland, he said there were a “lot of people in this room to be thankful for that.”
“We have to recognize these new realities, recognize the new
challenges, today and tomorrow,” he said, while adding that the Irish had
entered a new era globally and that the potential of the Diaspora
was a resource that had to be tapped.
Acknowledging everyone who had worked hard in the Irish community, whether they were Irish-born, their parents were born in Ireland, or those who simply had a sense of being Irish, Cowen said that these were partnerships that were meaningful for those with a deep serious kinship, those who recognized
their Irishness, no matter what part of the world they lived in.
Commenting on the current economic climate in Ireland, the taoiseach said
that these were “challenging times that we’re prepared for and we’ll
come out better than ever.”
Business, the economic climate and tourism were all high on Cowen’s agenda during his packed three day schedule. The taoiseach rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and attended a breakfast there hosted by NYSE CEO Duncan Niederauer. He used the opportunity to stress that Ireland was still one of the best countries in the world for investment, despite the global economic slide.
Cowen was able to announce that Citigroup would operate its new e-banking center in Ireland. The move will create roughly 30 highly skilled jobs in Dublin’s International Finance Services Center.
Cowen also attended Irish America magazine’s Wall Street 50 event as well as a gathering hosted by Tourism Ireland. At the consulate gathering he thanked his home county Offaly Association for their tributes and to the many people who wished him well in his term in office.
He also paid tribute to the Abbey, Gate, Irish Repertory, Irish Arts
Center and Origin Theatres, currently experiencing a rush of success
in New York.
Towards the end of his visit the taoiseach said: “I have had
a very successful and encouraging visit to the United States. My
message to the U.S. was that Ireland is a confident, successful economy
with a vigorous and skilled workforce and a sound, coherent economic
strategy that will address the short-term economic challenges while
continuing to build for our future success.
“I am glad to say that message has been very well received. I have had very useful discussions with our friends in America about the global economic
situation and how we can continue to respond effectively to it. I
intend to reflect and to act on that advice, with my colleagues in
government, as we set about building for the future.”