NO GREEN LIGHT FOR BIDEN

HOPES that US Vice-President Joe Biden would visit Ireland to commemorate the Easter Rising have been dashed, as he will be required to stay in the US due to Barack Obama’s travel plans.

The Irish Daily Mail revealed earlier this year that Dublin City Council had extended an invitation to Mr Biden to attend the Ireland-US Sister Cities Summit on April 21 and 22, as part of the 1916 centenary celebrations.

However, it appears that President Obama will be making his fifth state visit to Germany at that time, which means that Mr Biden is required to stay in the US.

A DCC source said this week: ‘We have not officially received anything. But it would appear that he will not travel on these dates as the President will be out of the USA and therefore the VP has to remain at home.’

Mr Biden – whose late mother Jean Finnegan was of Irish descent – had received two invitations to come to Ireland for the Sister Cities event. Former Dublin city lord mayor Christy Burke was part of the initial planning stages, and last night he expressed his disappointment that the 73-year-old would not be coming – adding that ‘it wasn’t for the want of trying’.

‘Maybe on another date, maybe a new President and maybe Hillary [Clinton] when she gets elected won’t be found wanting for a visit to Ireland,’ Mr Burke told the Mail. ‘It’s not the end of the world.’