Enda Kenny to ignore calls to cancel trip to Donald Trump
Taoiseach Enda Kenny is to ignore calls to forgo the annual St Patrick’s Day visit to Washington DC following a weekend in which politicians around the globe denounced the actions of US president Donald Trump,
Mr Trump’s executive order calling for a suspension on accepting refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries into the US has led to pressure on Mr Kenny from a number of opposition politicians.
Transport Minister Shane Ross and the Independent Alliance will raise the issue of the immigration ban at Cabinet this week, with an Alliance source describing the developments as “very serious”.
However, last night Mr Kenny’s officials strongly defended the opportunity in making the annual trip, with a government spokesman saying it would be “politically negligent to break the link” with Washington.
“In order to maintain the historically strong links between the Irish and American peoples, it is important that the Taoiseach continues to engage with the US President and his administration in Washington around the events of St Patrick’s Day.
“Doing so allows the Taoiseach to outline, in person, his government’s views on a range of issues, including business and economic ties, immigration and other matters of common interest. He will continue to act in the interests of Irish people and to that end he will raise these matters again this year,” the spokesperson said.
Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday said the trip could not all be about “smiles and shamrocks”. Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone wants an urgent review of the pre-clearance system at Irish airports in the context of Trump’s ban.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said Mr Kenny should postpone the visit, in protest at the travel ban. Labour’s Brendan Howlin also said the Taoiseach should not board the plane to Washington, unless he expressed the Irish people’s anger over the order.
The matter is also likely to be raised in the Dáil, after People Before Profit said they would draft a motion and circulate it, calling on Mr Kenny to cancel the trip.
Mr Varadkar pointed out that very few countries had the opportunity Ireland has, in being able to meet the US administration every year. He said Ireland could afford to voice its concern when visiting Washington DC and should stand by our values.
Embassy Statement on POTUS Executive Order Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S. Read https://t.co/XTnDRX4jRU pic.twitter.com/Dk02fuznJA
— U.S. Embassy Dublin (@USEmbassyDublin) January 28, 2017
Meanwhile, the US Embassy has warned nationals of the seven countries in question, including dual nationals, not to attend any scheduled visa interview at the Embassy in Dublin as it “will not be able to proceed with the visa interview”. “US Customs and Border Protection has implemented this provision at its Pre-Clearance facilities, including at Dublin and Shannon airports,” the embassy said.
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