Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Before those elections we were not that close either, if we are to be honest. By this I mean the domestic political context in the United States is making it very difficult for legislators, even those who are for this reform by instinct. They must consider the security of their own seats, for example, and the issue is as basic and straightforward as that. Many people who are advocates for reform have had to fight very hard to survive the recent electoral contest. The economic context is not good in the context of facilitating reform of immigration law because there are record levels of unemployment in the United States because of a significant recession. This dampens the appetite in communities and society for facilitating such reform.

It is a challenging issue and I have not seen anything in the elections that will change the matter. Much will depend on who will head the key committees, as Senator Schumer was a good leader with a good track record who was interested in promoting the issue.

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