Northern Ireland's First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, has said that she is "comfortable" with the deputy First Minister attending the White House later this month. Previously, Ms O'Neill had announced that she would not be travelling to Washington DC for St Patrick's Day.
She stated that she and her Sinn Fein party colleagues are taking "a principled stance against the threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza". Last week, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly confirmed her plans to travel to Washington DC.
Both Ms O'Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly were praised in the US capital last year when they attended St Patrick's Day events together, just weeks after the power-sharing institutions at Stormont were restored. During questions to the Executive Office at Stormont on Monday, Ms O'Neill revealed that both she and Ms Little-Pengelly will be travelling to North Carolina with a Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce trade delegation next week, before the deputy First Minister continues on to Washington.
Ms O'Neill also confirmed that an invitation to the White House had been received. Despite not attending herself, she is comfortable with Ms Little-Pengelly 's attendance.
In response to a question from People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, Ms O'Neill explained that she made the decision as First Minister not to attend White House events this year.
"That's my decision, a decision I don't take lightly, but a decision I've taken as a principled stance because I believe it's the right thing to do at this moment in time.
"I think there are times whenever there's a responsibility on all of us to call out injustice, and this was that moment.
"So, I'm very comfortable with my decision, equally comfortable with the fact that the deputy First Minister has a different view and will travel to be part of the White House reception and other events this year.
"That's entirely her call and I'm comfortable enough with that decision."
Mr Carroll also pressed Ms O'Neill on Taoiseach Micheal Martin's attendance at the White House. Ms O'Neill responded by saying it is a different situation for the Taoiseach, who will have the opportunity to engage directly with US President Donald Trump.
"That's an opportunity that he has to take because only he will have that opportunity to have that one-on-one time, and I hope that he does take the opportunity to drive home the message, the depth of feeling that's felt right across Ireland in terms of how people feel about what's happening in Palestine," she said.
"The recent commentary by the US administration, in particular in terms of the taking of Palestinian lands, the removal of the Palestinian people off their lands, the fact that they have moved away from a two-state solution, which is a solution that we all want to see achieved, is something that he needs to be very firm on in terms of any engagement with the US president."
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