Shamrocks to be presented to President Biden on St Patrick’s Day

The Taoiseach will hold a virtual meeting with his counterpart in Washington DC on Wednesday.

Discussions are expected to cover combating Covid-19 and driving recovery; and shared global challenges, including climate change.

The meeting will also allow Micheal Martin to thank President Biden for the US’s ongoing support for the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Martin said: “My visit is an opportunity to highlight how our mutually beneficial trade and investment relationship leaves both our economies well-positioned to bounce back quickly.

“I look forward greatly to meeting President Biden, who has a very special connection with Ireland, and to bring him greetings from Ireland on this his first St Patrick’s Day in office as president.

“I will thank him personally for his unstinting support for Ireland over many years, including in recent times for his support in helping to secure a positive outcome in the Brexit negotiations, as we face into the task now of making those new arrangements work well.”

The Taoiseach will also meet Vice-President Kamala Harris as well as House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

He will meet members of the US Congress Friends of Ireland Caucus, who mark their 40th anniversary on St Patrick’s Day.

On Monday, Mr Martin will deliver a virtual address to the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

That evening, he will speak at the US launch of a new book about the Kennedys and Ireland: From Whence I Came: The Kennedy Legacy, Ireland & America.

On Tuesday, the Taoiseach will attend virtual round table events hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Ireland, and the IDA.

All events will be conducted from Government Buildings.