O’Neill will ‘judge’ invite from US president to St Patrick’s Day events
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Northern Ireland’s First Minister said she will make a judgement on an invitation to St Patrick’s Day events in Washington when her office receives the itinerary. Michelle O’Neill said that Northern Ireland’s relationship with the US administration is “crucially important”, adding that Stormont will engage with President Donald Trump’s office on economic and other matters.
The deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said that while they have not yet received an invitation to the White House, she looks forward to being invited to the annual event. The invite to the event is usually issued in early February. Mr Trump previously hosted former taoiseachs Leo Varadkar and Enda Kenny during his tenure from 2017 to 2021.
It is expected that incoming taoiseach Micheal Martin will travel to Washington in March. Ms O’Neill also said that while she “would never agree with him”, she will work with the US President. “Look, we all have our own personal views on Donald Trump himself, and particularly his views, and then even his views expressed yesterday in terms of our LGBTQ+ community. I won’t agree with him. I would never agree with him,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
“Where I will engage is in what’s in the best interest, he is the president, he is the people of the America’s choice. He’s the president of the United States. “So when it comes to our engagement, it will be on our interest on economic growth, it will be on investment. It be on the Irish peace process.
