Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has said that it is too early to tell if a Democratic-controlled congress will help speed up the passing of large-scale immigration reform.
Mr Ahern vowed to keep the legalisation issue on the Irish Government's agenda while in the US, but said that he will still have to assess whether a Democratic Congress will convert to an easy passing for the McCain Kennedy Bill, which could legalise America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, including more than 20,000 Irish citizens.
Mr Ahern was in New York yesterday for a meeting with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform to discuss the implications of the new political landscape in the US.
He also had a private dinner at New York's Athletic Club on Central Park South to discuss the latest talks impasse in Northern Ireland. Guests included former talks chairman George Mitchell and the chairwoman of the American Ireland Fund, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, as well as the Irish consul general for New York, Tim O'Connor.
Afterwards, Mr Ahern left for Bloomberg Media television studios for an interview about the Irish economy and the impasse in Northern Ireland.