The White House has confirmed that US President Donald Trump will skip the traditional St Patrick's lunch hosted by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, this week.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will attend the event on Capitol Hill on Thursday after his meeting with Mr Trump at the White House.

Traditionally, US Presidents also attend the event but not this year.

Relations between Mr Trump and Ms Pelosi have hit a new low since his State of the Union address last month.

He refused to shake her hand and she ripped up a copy of his speech.

White House Spokesman Judd Deere confirmed to RTÉ News that President Trump would not be attending the Speaker's lunch.

"Since the Speaker has chosen to tear this Nation apart with her actions and her rhetoric, the President will not participate in moments where she so often chooses to drive discord and disunity, and will instead celebrate the rich history and strong ties between the United States and Ireland at the White House on March 12," he said.

"The relationship between our two countries has never been stronger, and the President looks forward to welcoming the Prime Minister of Ireland for the annual Shamrock Bowl presentation."

Ms Pelosi's spokesperson Drew Hammill criticised the decision.

"There has never been stronger support in the Congress and in the country for the US-Ireland bilateral relationship. One would think that the White House could set petty, partisan politics aside for this historic occasion," he said.