asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government have issued an invitation to the President of the United States to visit this country; if the invitation has been accepted; if so, when the visit will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

18.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will consider requesting President Reagan to include a visit to Ulster as part of his itinerary during his forthcoming visit particularly in view of the fact that the other three provinces are proposed to be included.

I propose taking Questions No. 17 and 18 together. In March 1983 the Taoiseach invited the President of the United Stated to visit Ireland. Earlier this year President Reagan indicated his acceptance of the invitation and will visit Ireland from 1 to 4 June of this year.

The programme for the President's visit to Ireland has been worked out by the American and Irish sides with some detail still to be decided on. Given the requirements of the President's schedule, the time available will be quite short and will not give the opportunity for him to see as many parts of the country as he and we might wish. The itinerary as arranged will include Shannon, Galway, Ballyporeen and Dublin.

This question was put down when the proposed visit was pure speculation. In view of the fact that the invitation has now been accepted and that the visit is widely interpreted both here and in the United States as part of the President's election campaign, should the visit be at least postponed until after the election in the US? In view of the fact that there is widespread opposition to the visit in Ireland from political and nonpolitical, lay and religious based organisations, does the Minister consider, in view of American foreign policy, that the visit should be reconsidered?

A question Deputy, please.

I do not think the President's visit should be cancelled and I do not accept as necessarily true the reasons given for the acceptance of the invitation as set out by Deputy De Rossa. Neither do I accept that there is widespread opposition to the visit. There is some concern on the part of groups about certain policies being pursued by the American administration. I do not think anybody suggests that when somebody is invited here and the invitation is accepted, he should not be treated with courtesy and respect befitting the head of a major power in the world and a friend of Ireland.

I did not imply in my question that any visitor should be treated with disrespect or discourtesy.

A question Deputy, please.