ALL EYES WILL be on Micheál Martin next week when he sits down with US President Donald Trump for the annual St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. 

The Taoiseach’s trip to Washington comes at a critical moment internationally amid heightened concerns about a peace deal for the war in Ukraine and Trump threatening to impose 25% tariffs on all imported goods from the EU. 

European leaders have united to support Ukraine following Trump’s public blowup with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, after which the Republican leader suspended military aid to the war-torn country and paused intelligence-sharing.

Micheál Martin subsequently called the scenes in the Oval Office “quite extraordinary and very, very unsettling”, but said he was still “looking forward” to his visit to the White House.

Trump’s wish to “take over” Gaza in order to redevelop it while permanently resettling its residents elsewhere also sparked global outcry last month. 

It was in protest at these remarks that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that her party would not attend St Patrick’s Day events in the White House this year, though she urged the Taoiseach to use his meeting with Trump to raise the issue of Gaza. 

Martin accused Sinn Féin of “engaging in politics”, but speaking in the Dáil, he said he would “articulate our views” in relation to Ukraine and Gaza during the visit. 

The Taoiseach has repeatedly said that the main reason for the trip is to celebrate the “historic links” between Ireland and the US, and stressed the importance of the Ireland-US economic relationship, valued at over one trillion Euro per annum. 

“We’re an open, small economy, we’re pro-free trade, and I’ll be articulating that,” Martin told the Dáil.

According to a recent Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll, half of the Irish public are against the Taoiseach making any criticism of Trump when he is face-to-face with him.

Asked to choose the issue that the Taoiseach should prioritise with Trump behind closed doors, a majority (51%) of respondents said he should raise the threatened tariffs against EU countries, which would be detrimental to the Irish and overall European economy.

Far smaller numbers thought that Martin should mention Gaza (18%) or Ukraine (16%).

We want to hear from you

With all of this in mind, we want to know what you think the Taoiseach should say to Donald Trump when they meet in the White House on Wednesday.

Do you think he should focus on potential tariffs? The war in Ukraine and/or the Gaza ceasefire? The importance of American business to Ireland? 

Is there another matter that you think he should raise with the US President – or do you believe he should just keep away from potentially contentious topics and focus on the St Patrick’s Day celebrations?

Give us a shout at The Journal by emailing answers@thejournal.ie and tell us in around three or four sentences what you think and why. Please tell us your first name, age and county, or let us know if you would like your name to not be published.