The Taoiseach has said he will consider inviting US President Donald Trump to visit Ireland.
Enda Kenny was speaking at the EU summit in Malta where EU leaders have been discussing a range of issues including Brexit, the refugee crisis and the US President.
Mr Kenny reiterated his concerns about President Trump's use of executive orders and in particular his legislation regarding refugees - however he insisted the EU and US can work together.
He again confirmed his plans to travel to Washington for St Patrick’s Day and said he will consider whether to extend a return invite when he arrives:
“I’ll consider that when I go to Washington, as I say, I wouldn’t be afraid of any outfall from it; I will consider the question when I get there,” he said.
He said he was “very clear in his mind” that visiting the White House is the right thing to do - adding that he is looking forward to talking directly to the president.
He said President Trump's regular use of Twitter is "unusual to say the least" but added that his latest executive orders are in line with what he said on the campaign trail:
President Trump has already been invited on an official state to Britain - although nearly two million people have signed a petition opposing the invitation
No other European country has currently extended an invite and a number of European heads of state used the summit to raise an "alarm call" over the Trump administration’s policies.
United Europe
Speaking as they arrived at the meeting leaders warned British Prime Minister Theresa May over her relationship with her American counterpart - and called for "EU solidarity" in response to the new US administration’s criticism of Europe.
"Those who want to forge bilateral ties with the US are of course well understood by the public,” said French President Francois Hollande. "But they must understand that there is no future with Trump if it is not a common position.
“What matters is solidarity at the EU level. We must not imagine some sort of external protection."
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel said that Europe’s destiny is in its own hands.
“I believe that the more strongly we make clear that we will define our own role in the world, the better we will be able to cultivate our transatlantic relationship," she said.
