Taoiseach says Donald Trump ‘always welcome’ to visit Ireland ahead of White House meeting

Taoiseach Micheál Martin meets the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott in Austin, Texas at the Governor's Mansion on Monday 10 March 2025. Picture: Government of Ireland

US president Donald Trump is "always welcome" to visit Ireland, the Taoiseach has said.

Speaking in Texas ahead of meeting Mr Trump on Wednesday, Micheál Martin said the Irish delegation "would be engaging" with the Trump administration on a potential visit to Ireland.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently met with Mr Trump and brought with him an invitation from King Charles to visit Britain. Asked if he would be doing similar in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Mr Martin said there would be engagements.

"The President is always welcome to visit Ireland, and obviously we'll be engaging on that front," he said.

Mr Martin said he was not "rehearsing" his engagement with Mr Trump. On Monday the Taoiseach met Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a close ally of Mr Trump, but he told the Irish Examiner  he had not sought an insight into Mr Trump from the Texan. Mr Martin said Mr Trump's announcement earlier this week of Irish Heritage Month in the US was a "positive".

He added he is not concerned there could be criticism from the US side of the Occupied Territories Bill or Ireland's stance on Gaza.

"[The meeting] reflects the very strong tradition between Ireland the United States in celebrating the Irish American diaspora. Irish Heritage Month was announced by the President in a very positive way. I think it's an opportunity to celebrate that in the first instance, and then to discuss the issues of the day. And obviously the economic relationship would be a very strong and key part of it.

"I think we're all fundamentally agreed on peace. We're all fundamentally agreed and my focus is on copper fastening the ceasefire, get the release of all hostages. And we've seen of late the terrible condition of some hostages, the way in which they were kept. 

"So I think the focus has to be on consolidating the ceasefire, consolidating the peace, getting hostages out, and also then a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, because the people of Gaza have suffered to an enormous amount and to an enormous degree, and it cannot continue."

Mr Martin had told the SXSW on Monday that multinationals in Ireland should "hold their nerve" in the face of tariffs coming from the Trump administration. On Tuesday he repeated that advice across the board.

"The actual reaction of multinationals that I've met has been very positive. I met with Microsoft last week in Dublin. They're 40 years in Ireland. I spoke to a number of pharmaceutical companies. They're in Ireland for the long haul. I think what will happen is there will be debate in the US, independent of any particular European country or Ireland. So I think we have to just monitor the situation and see how it evolves and develops."

Mr Martin rejected the idea that the Government had announced a plan to build a strategic reserve of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in advance of the trip in a bid to woo Mr Trump.

"First of all, it was in planning during the term of the last government and the last minister. And during the programme for government talks it was made very clear to us how serious the vulnerability is if something were to happen to the gas connectors for the Irish economy - we wouldn't last a week without some backup. It's very stark, actually. It's a fundamental responsibility, we have to have energy security."