US President Donald Trump has said he intends to visit Ireland.
The Taoiseach is meeting with President Trump at the White House as part of the annual St Patrick's Day tour.
It marks Leo Varadkar’s first official state engagement with the US president.
At the start of the meeting, President Trump said he wants to visit his property in Co Clare and may do so before the re-election campaign starts.
He said the Irish are "truly wonderful people" adding that he wants to visit soon:
“I will,” he said. “I love it.”
“I have property there – I may never get to see it again but I will tell.”
President Trump asked the Taoiseach whether he plays golf, with Mr Varadkar replying, “I don’t but I am always willing to learn - so you can take me for a few rounds.”
Asked if he will visit the border with Northern Ireland, President Trump said: “Well, that is an interesting border also – we have two interesting borders, one happens to be where you are.
“It is going to be interesting to see what happens.”
Donald Trump says he intends to visit Ireland after meeting the Taoiseach at the White House pic.twitter.com/ySVUve1yvY
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) March 15, 2018
The US President said it was his “great honour” to meet with the “very popular” Taoiseach - adding that the two men would talk about trade, the military, cyber and “all of the other things that we are talking about.”
“The relationship is outstanding and only getting better and it really is a very special group of people,” he said.
“A tremendous number of Irish are living in New York where I grew up and they are living in the United States and these are truly wonderful people, we love them.”
Donald Trump says he’d like to play golf in Ireland. Taoiseach says he doesn’t play, but is open to learning pic.twitter.com/cesW74WBNq
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) March 15, 2018
The Taoiseach is expected to use the opportunity to emphasise the strength of Irish-US relations and highlight the issues facing the undocumented Irish.
Mr Varadkar has said that trade and the potential for a trade war between the EU and the US will be top of the agenda.
"The way these meetings work - when it's two heads of governments meeting, or two ministers meeting - you have around 40 minutes,” he said.
“You have all the things that you really want to cover, and afterwards you always get asked 'did you mention this, did you raise that' - you can't cover everything.
"Very high on that list is going to be trade and the risk of a drift in relationships between America and the European Union."
The Taoiseach to meet President Trump in the next 20 minutes or so pic.twitter.com/GdbxlCIWhc
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) March 15, 2018
He said he does not plan to raise the issue of Russia, but may bring up LGBT rights.
Yesterday, he confirmed plans to invite President Trump to visit Ireland – an invite already extended by his predecessor Enda Kenny.
Following the meeting, Mr Varadkar will attend a lunch on Capitol Hill before the ceremonial bowl of shamrock exchange back in the White House.
In the past, he has pledged to use the US tour to raise LGBT rights – however, he may not do that today.
He will raise the issue with US Vice President Mike Pence tomorrow, although the media will be denied access to the remarks, which will be made after the meeting.
The motorcade arrives at the White House pic.twitter.com/8Caoocae6D
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) March 15, 2018
Reporting from Sean Defoe in Washington DC ...
