On the agenda on Friday for the Taoiseach is a visit to Hanley Energy - a company that works with data centres to provide solutions for their massive power requirements.

Members of the Burke family boarded a flight to the US capital on Tuesday

The Taoiseach was speaking ahead of his much-anticipated meeting with the US president in the White House on Wednesday.

Here, we have a look at some of the issues Mr Martin is facing ahead of the visit

US president Donald Trump has written to Micheál Martin, inviting him for a meeting in the Oval Office on March 12th.

The Northern Ireland First Minister said she could not be part of a Shamrock reception in the White House because of Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Gaza

SDLP leader Claire Hanna said the party was taking the stance in protest at the US administration position on Gaza.

The Taoiseach acknowledged the risk of a transatlantic trade shock had increased.

Simon Harris flew back from the US on Thursday.

Taoiseach Simon Harris is in Washington DC to meet US president Joe Biden.

Simon Harris will undertake a number of engagements during his visit to Washington DC in October.

Filmmaker Alex Garland wants Civil War, a tense thriller about a group of journalists documenting societal collapse as they chase a scoop in a conflict-torn United States, to be a conversation starter

The Taoiseach defended saying that Ireland’s main opposition party would ‘make Ireland broke again’.

Michelle O’Neill said business leaders they spoke to were left with ‘a clear understanding’ on why they should invest in Northern Ireland.

Discussions are expected to cover a broad agenda of issues including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.