The White House on St. Patrick's Day in 2021.Getty Images
Tánaiste Simon Harris said he expects that Taoiseach Micheál Martin will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC as part of the annual St. Patrick's Day engagements.
The annual events are the focus of mounting discussion in recent weeks amid reports that the Trump administration may move to scale back the events, compounded by politicians across the island of Ireland facing calls to boycott the visit altogether.
Still, both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste insist that an invitation is not typically formally issued and that the meetings will go ahead as usual this year.
"Planning is very much proceeding on the basis that the regular St. Patrick's Day schedule, if you like, in Washington, DC will be in place again this year," the Tánaiste, who is also Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, told reporters in Dublin on Wednesday, less than three weeks until March 17.
"There isn't generally a moment where a major invitation arrives, it's generally announced as the President of the day's schedule.
"But the working assumption is that that visit will be proceeding and, indeed, it will be our main visit to the United States but it will be one of many visits right across the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast to promote our country."
The Tánaiste is scheduled to visit Philadelphia and New York next month, one of 38 representatives of the State heading to more than 90 cities in 40 countries.
"I expect the Taoiseach will have an opportunity to meet President Trump," the Tánaiste added on Wednesday.
RTÉ News noted on Wednesday: "While the official position from Government is that the White House meeting will still take place and that no issue exists, there are private concerns over the lack of confirmation of the meeting to date."
Last month, reports began to emerge that Republicans in the US are struggling to see what they get out of the annual St. Patrick's Day events in Washington and that this year's events, the first of Trump's second term, could be scaled back.
Meanwhile, politicians across the island of Ireland are facing calls to boycott the annual events due to the US response in Gaza, with an online petition on ActNowNI drawing more than 5,100 signatures in roughly a month. Similar calls were made last year when Biden was still in office.
The calls for a boycott have intensified after Trump said he would like to see the people of Gaza "resettled" in other countries, such as Jordan or Egypt, and that the "US will take over Gaza."
The SDLP, People Before Profit, and Sinn Féin, including First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill, have all confirmed that they will not be attending the St. Patrick's Day events in Washington.
While O'Neill won't be going, the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelly, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), confirmed this week that she would be attending.