The Taoiseach will not be travelling to Washington for St Patrick's Day, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Officials are now looking to organise a virtual meeting between Micheál Martin and President of the United States Joe Biden on March 17th, with negotiations underway between Irish and US administrations.
A Government spokesman said a programme of online events is expected to replace the traditional visit and Shamrock ceremony in the US.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said a virtual event is the correct decision.
“I think the fact that there will still be a virtual St Patrick’s Day gathering, is I think a sign of the importance that President Biden still attaches to the Irish-American relationship,” he said.
“In fact I’m not sure there’s been an occupant of the White House in many decades who has attached as much importance.
“I’ve no doubt that President Biden in due course will want to visit Ireland, and I’ve no doubt that our Taoiseach will visit Washington in due course.”
Unique relationship
Earlier this week, Mr Martin said he would visit the White House next month if he is invited.
“In respect of how we mark St Patrick’s Day, how we mark that unique relationship between the United States and Ireland, officials in both administrations have been engaging in terms of what is the optimal way of doing that this year in the context of Covid-19,” he said.
“It is the number one challenge facing President Joe Biden, it’s our number one challenge here.
“What matters to us is not so much the location of how we mark it but rather the substance of the relationship between our two administrations.
“There are very strong dimensions to this, the economic dimension, the undocumented in America that we constantly advocate for and try and seek remedies for, developing partnerships with other members of the Biden administration.”
The Taoiseach was speaking during a visit to a coronavirus vaccination centre in Cork.
