Trump’s Irish visit ‘officially postponed’
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has confirmed that Donald Trump has postponed his Irish visit.
There was uncertainty over the trip after a Washington official said colleagues were still finalising whether Ireland would be a stop on the US president’s itinerary in Europe, where he is due to mark the centenary of the end of World War I.
The White House announced on August 31 that he would travel to Paris for the Armistice commemoration, and Mr Trump was due to make a two-day visit here around the weekend of November 10 and 11. He was expected to travel to Dublin and also visit his golf course in Doonbeg, Co. Clare.
However, speaking at an economic conference at the American Embassy in Dublin yesterday, Mr Varadkar said: ‘As you know this week US president Donald Trump has to postpone his proposed trip to Ireland,
‘However, whenever it takes place, we look forward to the opportunity to renew the deep, historic ties that exist between our two countries.
‘Ties that of course are cultural, economic and are in our families as well – so many of us, including me, having US relations.’
The Fine Gael leader was addressing an audience of Irish and American business leaders and White House representatives, including Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors.
It comes after a spokesman for the Government here said Mr Trump’s visit was postponed over ‘scheduling reasons’ by the US.
Speaking at the US-Irish economic conference, Mr Varadkar also said that as the UK prepares to leave the EU in a few months, the Irish-US relationship is ‘going to become all the more important with Ireland acting as a bridge to the EU for the US’.
Mr Varadkar also refuted suggestions that Ireland is a tax haven, and said we are ‘fully compliant’ with international best practice standards.
He also said that at a time ‘when others in Europe’ are looking to close their doors, Ireland is ‘open and tolerant and diverse’.
The Taoiseach said one in six Irish residents were born abroad, including his father, who was born in India. He added: ‘(This) makes us one of the most international countries in Europe.’