The Bush administration will announce today that the leaders of all five main political parties in the North will be invited to the White House for St Patrick's Day next week.
The families of murder victims Robert McCartney and Joseph Rafferty will also be invited to the celebrations, along with representatives of the North's Policing Board.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams will be granted a visa to visit the US but is not expected to be allowed to engage in fundraising. Last year, the White House invited the McCartney family and representatives of civil society in the North to the St Patrick's Day celebrations but did not invite the party leaders. Mr Adams cancelled a planned visit to the US last November after he was denied permission to raise funds while in the country.
Denis Staunton