Biden expected to name Joe Kennedy Northern Ireland special envoy

Joseph 'Joe' Kennedy III

Kurtis Reid

December 16 2022 09:36 PM

US President Joe Biden is expected to name former Congressman Joseph Kennedy III as special envoy to Northern Ireland, according to a report from US politics website Politico.

Joseph ‘Joe’ Kennedy (42) is the part of the famous American political family.

His father is former US Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II while his grandfather was US Senator Robert F. Kennedy, brother of former US President Joseph ‘JFK’ Kennedy.

He attended Stanford University before later graduating from Harvard Law School and served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Massachusetts from 2013-2021.

Mr Kennedy’s father Joseph P. Kennedy was involved in a controversial visit to Northern Ireland in the 1980s, with reports he entered in a dispute with a British soldier on patrol near Divis flats in west Belfast.

The position of Northern Ireland special envoy has been vacant since 2021 when it was previously filled by former US President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney.

Previous envoys include George Mitchell, Richard Haass and Gary Hart.

According to Politico, Kennedy’s confirmation in the role will be announced imminently by the White House.

Earlier this month, it was reported Joe Biden was seeking to fill the post in the coming weeks as part of the United States having a bigger say in Northern Ireland following the protocol row and coming up to the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Former Irish Ambassador to the US, Dan Mulhall who served in the role from 2017 to August also told BBC NI’s Sunday Politics programme that President Biden has a “desire” to fill the post.

The pre-Christmas appointment comes as President Biden is tipped to make a visit to Northern Ireland as part of a series of events scheduled to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next year.