US president Joe Biden to offer economic supports to Northern Ireland on restoration of power-sharing at Stormont

US president Joe Biden will promise fresh economic supports for Northern Ireland today – on condition there is a restoration of power-sharing at Stormont.

ritish prime minister Rishi Sunak is expected to respond by offering to host an international economic conference on Northern Ireland in September.

The Government here is also set to make a financial commitment to the North – as will Britain and the EU.

But this is all contingent on there being an adoption of the Windsor Framework and establishment of the Executive, with Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Féin as First Minister.

It is expected that the promise of a significant financial boost will be used to try and persuade the DUP to help solve the impasse.

Mr Biden was greeted upon arrival at the airport in Belfast last night by Mr Sunak, whom he saw in San Diego last month just before hosting Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the White House.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said: “We stand ready to work with a newly restored Executive, and for the Irish Government to work with the British government to develop an economic platform for Northern Ireland over the next number of years.

“I know the president is keenly interested in that.”

It is unclear how much money would be involved in the economic package, but it could be a mixture of private and public money from the US.

One senior Irish official said: “Joe Kennedy III has been appointed as an economic envoy, which is clearly about drumming up US private sector cash for investment in Northern Ireland.

“Any US government cash would have to get through Congress. It’s similar with the EU budget. The Peace Plus fund is there already, and there is the Shared Island fund.”

Admiral John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, said President Biden will today deliver remarks marking the progress resulting from the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago.

“He’ll underscore the readiness of the United States to preserve those gains and support Northern Ireland’s vast economic potential to the benefit of all communities.”

Mr Kirby said: “The president is very excited for this trip and has been now for quite some time.”

He added: “President Biden cares deeply about Northern Ireland and has a long history of supporting peace and prosperity there. As a senator, Joe Biden was an advocate for how the United States can play a constructive role supporting peace.”

Today the US president meets bilaterally with the UK prime minister — with a proposed meeting with King Charles now off the cards.

President Biden then heads to the University of Ulster to deliver his remarks on the local political situation.

Following his speech, the president will travel south this afternoon and is assured of a warm welcome in Louth, where his great-grandfather James Finnegan was born and the Finnegan family lived before they crossed the sea to begin a new life in America.

He will tour Carlingford Castle and stage a walkabout in Dundalk. He will spend tonight in central Dublin.

Tomorrow, he will meet with President Michael D Higgins at the Áras. Then he will meet again with the Taoiseach at a reception in Farmleigh.

President Biden will then address a joint session of Dáil and Seanad about Irish-American co-operation to advance democracy, peace, security and prosperity, as well as the shared deep history between the United States and Ireland.

“The president is very much looking forward to the trip and to celebrating the deep, historic ties that our two countries and our two people continue to share,” Admiral Kirby said.

“As for security concerns, we don’t ever talk about the requirements for protecting the president.

“But he is more than comfortable making this trip, and he’s very excited to do it.”