People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry has said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar should not travel to meet with US President Joe Biden in the White House on St Patrick's Day.
There have been calls from pro-Palestinian supporters in Ireland for parties to boycott the annual St Patrick's engagements in Washington, because of the US's ongoing support for Israel as it pursues its offensive in Gaza.
Mr Barry told RTÉ's This Week that the time for "business as usual" is over and that Mr Varadkar should not be celebrating St Patrick’s Day with the "main supporter" of Israel.
Figures released by Palestinian health officials today showed that Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 28,000 people.
"Now, I say clearly, he does not do that in my name. I'm confident in saying, that there are hundreds of thousands of ordinary, Irish people who would agree and that is not in their name either and would be disgusted with that," Mr Barry said.
Mr Barry also criticised opposition party Sinn Féin who will also be travelling to the US and meeting with Mr Biden on St Patrick’s Day.
Read more: Debate on Irish boycott of US St Patrick's Day trip debate gathers pace
Last month, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Féin was going to the US "in pursuit of peace".
She said: "We are going to the US in pursuit of peace, continuing to work with the Irish diaspora and US representatives to promote and strengthen the support for the peace process at home and Irish reunification."
Separately, Mr Barry told This Week that there is enough wealth in Ireland in order to solve the housing and cost-of-living crises and provide adequate resources to asylum seekers coming here.
"The reality of the situation is that we've had about 100,000 Ukrainians coming here and the last couple of years ... I'm opposed to the deportation campaign that the Government is about to launch and I think that immigration is, and can be, a positive for this country," Mr Barry said.
Additional reporting: PA
