Michelle O’Neill Washington boycott was a big mistake – Taoiseach

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill’s boycott of Washington DC’s St Patrick’s events was a “big mistake”, Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin has said.

The Taoiseach said the decision was “not in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland”, pointing out that “huge efforts” were made at the beginning of the peace process to facilitate Sinn Fein.

While Ms O’Neill travelled to Carolina last week for a business event, she returned home rather than attend the Washington DC events as part of Sinn Fein’s protest against US President Donald Trump’s threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza.

Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP, did travel to Washington and spoke with Mr Trump during a lunch at Capitol Hill.

The Alliance Party and SDLP also boycotted the White House events in protest at actions by the US president.

During an interview on the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme, Mr Martin was asked if he thought Ms O’Neill’s refusal to go to Washington was a missed opportunity.

He said: “I do, I think it was a big mistake.

“I met with the deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly who was with me at the lunch on Capitol Hill, met with President Trump.

“I think it was a wrong decision because huge efforts were made at the beginning of the peace process to facilitate Sinn Fein at the time.

“A lot of people put a lot of effort into that.”

He added: “I thought it was a bit opportunistic and I think not in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland or indeed the island of Ireland for Sinn Fein to essentially boycott Capitol Hill this year.

“I think it was the very wrong thing to do and opportunistic and somewhat cynical.”

A Sinn Fein spokesperson responded: “The decision not to travel to the White House was not taken lightly, but taken conscious of the responsibility each of us as individuals have to call out injustice.

“We are all heartbroken as we witness the suffering of the Palestinian people and the recent comments of the US president around the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza, something we cannot ignore.”

The Taoiseach said he did not discuss the appointment of a US envoy to Northern Ireland during his meeting with Mr Trump, but said he wanted to work with the US administration over the potential appointment of an economic envoy.

Joe Kennedy previously served as the US economic envoy to Northern Ireland under the Biden administration.

Mr Martin said Mr Trump had shown an interest in Northern Ireland.

He added: “Certainly the envoy has played a very useful role over the years politically in terms of making the peace.

“Now the political institutions are up and running and there is a case perhaps for an economic envoy because we do have to continue to work to enhance investment into Northern Ireland and enhance the economy there.

“There are opportunities as well in Northern Ireland for that investment.

“An economic envoy is certainly something we can work with the US administration on and the UK Government and the Northern Ireland parties.”

The Taoiseach said the relations between the US and EU are currently difficult “on the economic side”, but added that he hoped progress in other areas could lead to renewed engagement.

He added: “I think on Ukraine there are challenges, although I think the work of President Macron and others has been impactful, along with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“I think there has been a good co-ordinated approach now to trying to get peace in the Ukraine, which is positive.

“We welcome the momentum behind peace in both Ukraine and in the Middle East because too many people are suffering and too many people are dying.

“I would hope that could lead to engagement on the trade side because it is not clear yet that there has been substantive engagement in terms of negotiations between the EU Commission and the US administration.

“I know that the EU wants to engage and understands that there is a two-way process here.”