US President Joe Biden on stand-by to visit Northern Ireland - if Stormont restored - reports suggest

US ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin has previously stated that President Joe Biden plans to visit Ireland at some point during 2023, however, it has been widely speculated that President Biden would welcome the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland if Stormont’s power-sharing was restored ahead of the peace agreement’s 25th anniversary on April 10.

When the visit eventually takes place, the president is expected to visit Mayo and Co Louth as well as Dublin and Belfast.

According to a report in the the Irish Examiner, members of the US Secret Service have already arrived in Ireland and are liaising with An Garda Síochána in preparation for the visit.

A source has said that security personnel have visited Áras an Uachtaráin this week.

It is expected Mr Biden would stay in the US ambassador residence in Phoenix Park on his visit to Dublin.

Officials from the US president’s advance team will also arrive here this weekend to scope out buildings and the route Mr Biden will make from Belfast to Dublin.

A source said a “proper sweep” of buildings for security purposes will happen closer to Mr Biden’s arrival in Ireland.

US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin said late last year that President Biden would be making a visit to Ireland in 2023.

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Biden has mentioned visiting Ireland on a number of occasions since he came into office, but Ambassador Claire Cronin said the exact time is still unclear.

Ms Cronin told Newstalk:

"I have no doubt that president Biden will be coming to Ireland at some point in 2023.

"I don't know when, but he has expressed a strong desire to do so, but I have no clue when that might be."

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Biden faces the dilemma of fitting the coronation into his own schedule as he is expected to be in Ireland around April 18, making another trip across the Atlantic less likely.

With Biden's Irish heritage being close to his heart, the source believes Biden is more likely to attend the Good Friday event.

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Irish News

Meanwhile, a former US congressman has said the president would be "loathe to come and find that Stormont is not working".

Connecticut Democrat Bruce Morrison told UTV's View From Stormont show that President Biden "would like to come to Northern Ireland as well as visiting Ireland as a whole".

He added: "He certainly would be loathe to come and find that Stormont was not running, that would be something that would say the Good Friday Agreement is stumbling, it is not moving forward as it should."

The ex-Congressman added: "I think everyone that cares about long-term peace and stability cares about Stormont playing its part."