Taoiseach Micheál Martin should use his face to face meeting with US President Donald Trump to “speak up” for the people of Gaza and Ukraine, an opposition TD has said.
Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said that what happens in the Oval Office in front of the cameras would only make up a small part of the Taoiseach’s visit to the US to mark St Patrick’s Day.
Government minister Michael Moynihan said continued Irish engagement with the US was important following the heated exchanges between Mr Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday.
Mr Martin has been invited to the White House on March 12th.
Sinn Féin has said it will not be travelling to the US in protest against Mr Trump’s “threat of mass expulsion” of Palestinians from Gaza, but has said that the Taoiseach should meet the president.
Ms O’Reilly told the RTE The Week in Politics programme: “For the vast majority of Irish people, what we want to see is Micheal Martin using the bilateral engagement that he has to speak up in favour of Irish unity, the Good Friday Agreement and protection of peace, to speak up for the Irish diaspora and in particular the undocumented Irish living in America, to speak up for the people of Gaza and Ukraine, and to speak up for FDI and those trade links around tourism and jobs and those long-standing links that have been there for decades.”
She added: “It is important not just what happens in front of the cameras, that is only a small part.
“There will be engagements with the State Department, there will be direct engagement with the president, and the Taoiseach needs to use those engagements to highlight those things that are important to the people of Ireland.
“I do believe when we hear Trump talking about the forced displacement of millions of Palestinians that actually yes, Micheal Martin should use every opportunity to speak up for the people of Gaza and to speak up for the people of Ukraine.”
The Taoiseach is not among European leaders gathering in London on Sunday to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, but will be taking part in an EU leaders’ summit later in the week.
Mr Moynihan, Minister of State for Disabilities, said the Taoiseach was being kept updated on all developments.
He said: “Every European leader is very much focused on the enormous challenges and the flux in which the world finds itself.
“The European leaders’ meeting is on Thursday and there will be serious discussions.
“But serious discussions will continue, today, tomorrow and right through because of developments and a sense of trying to bring peace to Europe but also to try to find something that will be positive and long-lasting.”
He added: “I think it is very important we engage (with the US) in a meaningful way.
“We have an opportunity on March 12 for the Taoiseach to meet the President of the United States.
“There is huge amount of commonality between us.
“We have to make sure we continue engagement with the United States. It is one of our major trading partners, it is a huge economic stability for us, not just from foreign direct investment, but also investment into the United States.
“We have to make sure that we look at the ties that bond Ireland and America over the centuries but also to make sure we have economic bonds as well.”
Mr Moynihan was also asked about Ireland’s defence spending.
The programme for government pledges to increase it from 1.35 billion to 1.5 billion euros by 2028, but Tanaiste Simon Harris has said he would like to see that doubled.
The Fianna Fail minister said: “At the moment the policy that is underpinning the Government is the programme for government.
“I think there will be huge engagement in light of what is happening in the world to make sure that we are protected in terms of cyber, in terms of other issues.
“The programme for government underpins what we are going to spend but I am sure there will be high level engagement not just with Government but across politics and society as well about further spending.”
