Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said he will renew the invitation for US President Joe Biden to visit Ireland when he meets Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this weekend.
Mr Donohoe will be attending a meeting of G7 finance ministers in London in his role as President of the Eurogroup of countries.
The meeting hosted by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will focus on supporting the global economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic among other topics.
Mr Donohoe will have his first face-to-face meeting with the US Treasury Secretary Ms Yellen, having previously held talks with her via video link on St Patrick’s Day.
Asked about renewing the invitation to Mr Biden, Mr Donohoe said there is a standing invitation to the President but he will be “re-extending” it.
"It would be great to see President Biden here in Ireland, and as he deepens his engagement in Europe I know he would be really welcome here," Mr Donohoe said.
He said he is looking forward to meeting Ms Yellen and “extending an invitation for her to come here as well”.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin invited the president to visit Ireland in his first conversation with him after his election victory last November.
Mr Biden, whose ancestors emigrated to the United States from Co Mayo and Louth, speaks often of his Irish roots and pride in his Irish-American heritage. He last visited in 2016, in the final year of his vice-presidency.
In April, it was announced that Mr Biden would make his first overseas trip in June, when he visits England and Brussels for a series of high-level international summits.
Mr Biden will attend the G7 summit of leaders in Cornwall taking place between June 11th and June 13th, travelling on to Brussels for a Nato summit and an EU-US leaders’ summit on June 14th.
Asked at that time if a visit to Ireland would form part of the trip, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: “There’s not currently a planned Ireland stop.”
