Bush to visit Ireland for EU summit next year

US President George W Bush is expected to come to Ireland next year, but the Government claimed yesterday the planned EU/US summit will pass without major disruption or demonstrations.

Mr Bush’s recent visit to England prompted an unprecedented security operation involving 14,000 police at a cost of almost 8 million as tens of thousands of anti-war and environmental protestors took to the streets.

As well as a celebration of EU enlargement to be attended by the member leaders, European Minister Dick Roche said there will be an EU/US Summit in Ireland as part of the EU presidency and that the Government was awaiting a date from Washington.