By Justin McCarthy in Washington

Labour won’t flinch from implementing tough decisions, despite taking a dive in the opinion polls Gilmore said last night.

Speaking in Washington where he met with the US Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr Gilmore brushed aside concerns over his party’s dip

in the polls to just 9 percent.

He said the job that was taken on by the government was challenging and his party was “not going to flinch from that job”.

Mr Gilmore pointed out that Labour was only two years into a five year term in Government “we have a strategy, we’re getting on with it, and we’re going to see it through” he said.

The Tanaiste, who’s been in the United States for the past few days has had no time to discuss the latest poll ratings with his party’s TDs.

At his meeting with Secretary of State Kerry yesterday Mr Gilmore said he had taken the opportunity to advance the case for a new E3 visa to allow Irish emigrants to live and work in the US for up to two years.

“There’s a similar arrangement in place for Australia and we’ve been talking to the United States about such an arrangement for Irish emigrants” he said.