The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, rejecting calls from anti-war activists, will keep his plans to travel today to Washington to see US President Mr George W. Bush.
Mr Ahern was under pressure from Irish opponents of a war on Iraq to cancel his meeting with Mr Bush tomorrow when he will present the traditional bowl of shamrock to President Bush in the White House tomorrow morning. A 30-minute private meeting between the two men is scheduled afterwards.
In the Dáil yesterday, Mr Ahern said it would be an "insult" to cancel his visit, and expressed his "respect" for the US, which has a politically muscular ethnic Irish community.
It has become a tradition for the Taoiseach to travel to the White House for the March 17th national holiday.
Mr Ahern will meet Mr Bush tomorrow, then attend a lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dennis Hastert.
He will later deliver a speech as part of the Presidential Lecture Series of the World Bank, and meet Senators Ms Hillary Clinton and Mr Edward Kennedy.
On Friday he is to meet local representatives from the US Special Olympics Team who will be travelling to Ireland in June for the Special Olympics Summer World Games.