The Government has not discussed the timing of a visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth and the event is thought unlikely to happen before the year 2000.
As the President, Mrs McAleese, prepares to meet the queen in Belgium next week, a spokeswoman for Aras an Uachtarain said last night there were no plans to raise the subject of a visit.
"There is already a willingness on both sides for it to happen, but these things take considerable time to plan and there are no dates in anyone's diary," she said.