Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not object to an all-party motion provided we can come to an agreement on it. I do not want circumstances in which we are expected to have all-party motions every week. There have been a number of executive orders signed in the first ten days of the US presidency. As a member of the Government, I have condemned torture, waterboarding and breaches of human rights around the world. I have not written to the US President because I intend to visit him in the Oval Office in the White House and say my piece publicly - both before and then. President Trump is well used to disagreements and will obviously have many more in the time ahead.

This is not just about visits to the US President, as Deputy Martin knows. We have very long-established traditions with United States. We were those emigrants who first saw Miss Liberty appearing out of the Hudson fog and said we had realised our ambition to be able to go to the United States. We want to hold on to pre-clearance, and that is subject to the international agreement between the two parties.

I fully agree that it is not righteous or correct policy to ban on the basis of country, nationality or creed. I have said that publicly already. If the drafting of an all-party motion can be achieved, I will have no objection to it. This is an issue that affects people from all over the world. I am merely pointing out, in the context of pre-clearance and the position of our people here in Ireland, the clarifications that are evolving from the White House in respect of the order issued by the US President.

See this speech in context