The US Health and Human Services Secretary, Mr Tommy Thompson, has cancelled a planned visit to Northern Ireland in light of the suspension of the Executive, The Irish Times has learnt.
Mr Thompson will still visit the Republic as part of a trade mission to foster business links in the biotechnology sector.
However, sources confirmed yesterday that, following discussions with the US Consulate in Belfast and the US Embassy in London on recent political developments, the Northern Ireland leg of the trip will not now go ahead.
The announcement of the impending visit to the State and Northern Ireland by senior members of the Bush administration was made at the end of the Irish-US business summit in Washington last September.
The summit was attended by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney; the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Sir Reg Empey; and the President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox.
Last February, Mr Thompson hosted a landmark US-Ireland biotechnology conference with 62 academic and government leaders from the US, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
"The United States, Ireland and Northern Ireland maintain strong ties of culture and commerce, and we can build on those by fostering close relationships in science and biotechnology," he said at the time.
Among other events during his visit on the 15th and 16th of this month, Mr Thompson is expected to attend a presentation in Dublin on new technology to enable more advanced cancer research in hospitals in Dublin and Belfast.