Taoiseach Micheal Martin will now meet US President Joe Biden at a $1,000 per plate gala dinner on Wednesday night.
It was expected Mr Martin would meet President Biden at the White House on St Patrick’s Day but the US President in an unusual turn of events, will now be attending the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala.
Speaking in Washington, Mr Martin told reporters that it is not about “getting anything out of” President Biden and more so a meeting “with one Irish man to another Irish man.”
Although the two leaders will meet on Wednesday night, the bilateral meeting between the pair on Thursday in the White House will be official where Mr Martin is expected to raise a number of issues including the war in Ukraine and Irish-American relationships.
He said: “Meeting President Biden, it’s not about getting anything out of it in one sense because it’s going to be first of all a pleasant meeting, with one Irish man to another Irish man.
“We will be raising the issue of the undocumented but also how can we continue to work the existing channels of legal migration through to the US and Ireland.
“We have to develop newer mechanisms that facilitate the way we exchange between the two countries, that are legal.
“We also want to discuss the economic relationship between Ireland and the United States which is a powerful relationship not just in terms of the American multinationals that are present in Ireland but also the number of Irish companies that are allocated in America that are creating thousands and thousands of jobs for America.
“It’s a very strong, mutual, economic relationship.”
Mr Martin said the Irish Government will also make representations to President Biden about enhancing the cultural and artistic relationship between the two countries.
He added: “I will be thanking him for his steadfast support of the Good Friday Agreement and the ongoing concern for the Good Friday Agreement and the [Northern Ireland] protocol and Brexit.”
On Tuesday evening, Mr Martin will unveil a statue of the bust of former SDLP leader John Hume at the Irish Ambassador’s residence in Washington.
The Irish delegation will also attend a Tourism Ireland reception and will experience a Riverdance performance.
On Wednesday, the Taoiseach is due to give a keynote address at the US Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Martin is also due to meet Limerick billionaire brothers, Patrick and John Collison who founded Stripe - the hugely successful financial services and software company.
He is expected to present an industry award to the brothers at a Science Foundation Ireland event.
Mary Martin, the Taoiseach’s wife is expected to attend the Ireland Funds Gala with Mr Martin on Wednesday night too.
The tickets for the now sold out black tie event start at $1,000.
The evening event will be hosted by Norah O’Donnell, managing editor for CBS Evening News.
