President Joe Biden will address a joint sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas during his five day visit to Ireland.
He will not be delivering any address at Stormont.
A statement from the Oireachtas press office confirmed that as a result of an invitation from the Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, and the Cathoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Senator Jerry Buttimer, "the President of the United States, Joseph R Biden Jr will address a Joint Sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas on Thursday, 13 April as part of his visit to Ireland."
Stated the release: "Given the deep, historic ties between Ireland and the United States of America, both the Ceann Comhairle and the Cathaoirleach are very much looking forward to welcoming the President to Leinster House.
"President Biden will become the fourth President of the United States to address the Oireachtas, following President John F Kennedy on 28 June 1963, President Ronald Reagan on 4 June 1984 and President Bill Clinton on 1 December 1995."
The address, which will take place in the Dáil chamber, will be broadcast live on Oireachtas TV.
Biden will begin his Irish sojourn in Belfast on Tuesday, April 11 nut will not be delivering an address at Stormont.
The Irish Times is reporting that Biden had actually been invited to Parliament Buildings by the Speaker, where it was hoped he would address the Assembly to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast Agreement.
But the paper reported that the invitation has been turned down.
"Sources familiar with the visit said the decision was due to logistics."
Added the Times report: "However, there is speculation the decision was taken for political reasons, as the Northern Assembly and Executive are not functioning because the DUP is continuing to boycott the power-sharing institutions over its protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements."
The president, while in Belfast, will attend an event at the new Ulster University campus in Belfast and will meet with political and civic leaders.
Mr. Biden will be in Ireland April 11-14 with most of his time being spent in the South.
His visit will include a public address outside St. Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina, County Mayo. The president will also visit County Louth. Mayo and Louth are his two principal Irish ancestral counties.
