# Ireland 'ready to work' with US to bring peace, says Martin

### 3 days ago
**Raymona Crozier, Jessica Lawrence & Finn Purdy**  
**BBC News NI**

Ireland is ready to work with the United States to bring "just, lasting and sustainable peace" to Ukraine and the Middle East, the taoiseach (Irish PM) has said.

The comments come as Micheál Martin presented US President Donald Trump with a bowl of shamrocks in the White House as part of St Patrick's Day celebrations.

It follows a bilateral meeting between the two leaders where the president raised a "massive" trade imbalance with Ireland and accused the European Union of treating the US "very badly".

Earlier on Wednesday, the EU .

## Ireland is ready to work with you and our international partners to end conflict

At the shamrock presentation ceremony on Wednesday evening, Martin referenced the US intervention during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and its role in the creation of the Good Friday Agreement.

>The story of peace in Ireland is one that we wrote together.  
>We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task but when the mighty United States of America puts its shoulder to the wheel, there is no mountain it cannot move.

Martin also praised Trump's "unrelenting focus and energy" in bringing peace to Ukraine and the Middle East.

"In my view, there is nothing more noble than the pursuit of peace and this is what you are doing," he added.

In remarks beforehand, President Trump said he "loves the Irish".

"We're always going to have that special friendship," he said. "The bond between our nations is as old as our country itself."

## Ireland has entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasp

The president said that the EU was "set up in order to take advantage of the United States".

When asked if Ireland was also taking advantage of the US, Trump said: "Of course."

"I have great respect for Ireland, for what they did and they should have done just what they did. But the United States shouldn't have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didn't have a clue."

## US doesn't want to do anything to hurt Ireland

Official figures from Ireland's statistics agency suggest the country had a goods-trade surplus with the US of just over €50bn (£41.6bn) in 2024.

Ireland's goods exports to the US were €72.6bn (£60.4bn) in 2024 while its imports from the US were €22.5bn (£18.7bn).

Trump said that the EU was "set up in order to take advantage of the United States".

When asked if Ireland was also taking advantage of the US, Trump said: "Of course."

"I have great respect for Ireland, for what they did and they should have done just what they did. But the United States shouldn't have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didn't have a clue."

Trump also said that if he drained Ireland of all the US companies "maybe I'd lose the Irish vote".

"We don't want to do anything to hurt Ireland, but we do want fairness and  understands that," he added.

However, Martin said the pharmaceutical companies "are doing very well in Ireland", and that there was room to discuss a deal.

"I think there's room for those companies to grow in America and many of them, by the way, have already announced fairly significant manufacturing investments now ," the taoiseach added.

Martin said Ireland had served the US companies well with a strong, educated workforce and access to the EU single market.

## Housing answer stirs controversy

The president said Ireland's housing crisis was caused by the country "doing so well".

Housing availability and cost is a major political and social issue in Ireland, with reports  are needed to keep up with demand.

"You know why they have a housing crisis? Because they're doing so well, they can't produce houses fast enough," Trump said.

Martin added it was a "good answer".

However the remark has drawn criticism from opposition parties, with Sinn Féin stating that joking about the housing crisis is "never a good answer".

## Why Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy and MMA fighter Conor McGregor are on the visit

Earlier, while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump addressed the "massive deficit" with Ireland.

"We want to sort out that issue as nicely as we can, and we'll work together."

Martin told President Trump that foreign investment is a two-way street, adding that Ireland is "investing a lot more in America now".

## The president's visit to Capitol Hill

The president also complimented Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy and MMA fighter Conor McGregor during the visit.

He called McIlroy "talented", adding he had played a round with him three weeks ago.

The president also complimented McGregor's tattoos: "He's got the best tattoos I've ever seen".

After the bilateral meeting, both Trump and Martin travelled to Capitol Hill to attend the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by the US House speaker, Mike Johnson.

## The US 'steadfast friend' of Ireland

Prior to the meeting, Martin attended a breakfast hosted by Vice-President JD Vance.

Speaking at the breakfast, Martin said that the US "has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries".

He said the peace process was a "signature achievement of US foreign policy", adding that Ireland is "ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in the Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever".

Martin welcomed the "progress that has clearly been made" as a result of the Trump administration's "unrelenting focus and effort" to secure peace.

## US tariffs on Ireland

Speaking ahead of Martin's visit to the Oval Office, Democrat member of the House of Representatives Brendan Boyle told BBC News NI's The View that "what the Trump administration is doing with respect to tariffs makes no economic sense, and it makes no sense in terms of our national security".

Boyle said that imposing tariffs on Canada suggests that no country is "safe fully from this sort of madness", including Ireland.

He added that Martin should "remind President Trump that Ireland, despite its small size, is one of the largest investors in the United States and one of the largest job creators in the United States".

"On the one hand,  likes to say, you know, we're the best, he's the best, He's the greatest. Everything is a superlative.

"But then in the next breath, he says, we're suckers, we're losers, we're being taken advantage of by every other country."

## Donald Trump's comments

He added that Martin should "remind President Trump that Ireland, despite its small size, is one of the largest investors in the United States and one of the largest job creators in the United States".

"On the one hand,  likes to say, you know, we're the best, he's the best, He's the greatest. Everything is a superlative.

"But then in the next breath, he says, we're suckers, we're losers, we're being taken advantage of by every other country."
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