THE UK DEPUTY Prime Minister Nick Clegg will visit president-elect Michael D Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin.
TheJournal.ie understands that Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, will be among the first international dignitaries to meet the new president during a trip to Ireland at some point in the coming months.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister declined to comment or confirm any details about the visit.
The story was first reported by Juno McEnroe in today’s Irish Examiner.
The Labour Party has closely followed the progress of the Lib Dems, a junior partner in a coalition government at a time of great economic uncertainty much the same as the situation in Ireland.
However the Lib Dems plummeting poll numbers and popularity are in sharp contrast to that of Labour which has been bolstered not only by securing the presidency but in winning the recent by-election in Dublin West, the first time a party in government has won a by-election in 30 years.
President-elect Higgins will be inaugurated as the ninth president of Ireland at a ceremony to be held at Dublin Castle on Friday at 11.30am.
A spokesperson for the government said that details were still being confirmed and that the ceremony was still a “work in progress”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say