Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Taoiseach if he discussed LNG imports with the US Administration during his recent visit to Washington. [12136/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I visited Austin and Washington D.C. for a programme of engagements to mark St. Patrick’s Day. In Texas I met with Governor Abbott. My political engagements in Washington included breakfast with the Vice President and First Lady, and a bilateral meeting with President Trump.

Other political engagements included the Speaker’s lunch on Capitol Hill, meetings with Speaker Johnson and the Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus, and the annual St. Patrick’s Day reception in the White House at which the President was presented with the traditional bowl of shamrock.

A wide range of issues was discussed in these engagements including US-Irish bilateral relations, developments in Northern Ireland, and global issues including the Middle East and Ukraine. My discussions were also a good opportunity to highlight the two-way, mutually beneficial nature of the economic relationship between Ireland and the US, across a range of sectors.

The importance of energy security in a more uncertain world, and the cost of energy as a key input to industry, came up in some meetings. I highlighted the importance of the transition to renewable sources with the strong potential for off-shore wind for Ireland in that regard. I also stressed the need for energy security in the interim, in which LNG can play a part.