Joe Kennedy III set to be named as US special envoy to Northern Ireland

Joe Kennedy III, a member of the Kennedy political dynasty, is set to be named as US special envoy to Northern Ireland, BBC News understands.

The former Democratic congressman will be the first person in the role in almost two years.

The US government will make the announcement as early as Monday, a source familiar with the appointment told the BBC.

It is understood the role will see Mr Kennedy, who is the grandson of assassinated presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, focus on economic development and closer ties, and not political issues such as Brexit or the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The news comes before new rules are introduced in January which require special envoy appointments to be approved by the US Senate.

US special envoys to Northern Ireland have played specific roles in terms of peace-building and political relations.

Former senator and special envoy, George Mitchell, was sent to Northern Ireland by former president Bill Clinton, during which he became one of the key architects of the Good Friday Agreement.

A distant relative of late US president John F Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy's grandson, Joe Kennedy III is part of one of the most famous families in American politics.

Before attending Harvard Law School, Mr Kennedy served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic for two years.

He then became a district attorney before setting his eyes on the US House of Representatives.

Some US special envoys to Northern Ireland last longer in the memory than others.

After all, it was one of them, George Mitchell, who helped lay the path for the Good Friday Agreement.

Despite the agreement's 25th anniversary looming in April, and with power-sharing government still suspended, Joe Kennedy's remit will be nothing like some of his predecessors.

His priority, we're told, will be long-term economic plans for Northern Ireland - in other words, spreading the word to US investors about Northern Ireland businesses, say those close to the matter.

The US has taken a great interest in the Northern Ireland Protocol dispute in recent months but the Biden administration is not using this particular appointment to pile on political pressure.

That said when Mr Kennedy makes his first trip to Northern Ireland, expected some time early in the new year, no doubt he will have plenty to say about the politics of a place he represents on a transatlantic platform.

He was first elected to congress in 2013 and served four terms as the representative for Massachusetts's 4th district.

In 2020, Mr Kennedy decided to forego a re-election and challenge veteran senator Ed Markey for his seat.

Mr Kennedy's appointment comes during a fractious political era in Northern Ireland.

There has been no power-sharing government since February, when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) walked out of the Northern Ireland Executive in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Unionists argue the post-Brexit trading arrangement undermines Northern Ireland's position in the UK as it keeps the nation aligned with some EU trade rules to ensure goods can move freely across the Irish land border.

Since May's assembly election, when Sinn Féin won the largest number of seats for the first time, there have been five attempts to restore the executive.

But these have all failed as the DUP has refused to vote for a new speaker, a position that must receive support from unionists and nationalists before any other business can be heard.

The DUP argues it has a mandate from voters not to return to the executive until the protocol is "significantly changed".

Meanwhile, the UK and the EU continue to hold talks over the protocol and, while a resolution does not appear imminent, both sides agree a window of opportunity exists for a deal.

While it is understood that Mr Kennedy's role will not focus on political issues, leaders in the US have previously made their stance on the protocol clear.