Transport Minister Shane Ross has said he is “very, very surprised” by the election of Donald Trump as US president, writes Political Reporter, Elaine Loughlin.

However, he conceded that the results of any democratic vote must be respected.

President Michael D. Higgins says he has conveyed his best wishes to Mr Trump, wishing him and the American people every good fortune for his term in office.

President Higgins says Ireland has a long and deep connection with the United States and its people.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney added that Ireland will now have to “work with the democratic reality that people have voted for Donald Trump as president”.

Reacting to the US presidential election result Mr Ross said: “I am very very surprised indeed at the result, I thought that Hillary Clinton was going to win.”

Asked if the Irish government should accept invites to the White House from Mr Trump, the Independent Alliance TD said: “I think we are now in a new situation and we are going to have to accept that we are in a new situation.”

Speaking at the launch of the Winter Ready campaign this morning, Mr Ross said: “I think that once someone is democratically elected we have to accept that fact and deal with them as a democratically elected representative.

“Once a democratically elected president is elected we have to and must accept that as a fact. We may not personally like the results of lots of elections across the world, but a democratically elected politician is a democratically elected politician and they resume a new status when they achieve that and that has to be recognised by other democratically elected governments.”

Asked whether he thought the outcome would result in a drop in US tourism figures he said: “I would be very worried if I thought that was going to happen.

“But I was in Chicago over the weekend and the signs were that the numbers coming to Ireland from the United States were going to increase again this year.”

Describing it as “one the most bitter campaigns I can ever remember,” Mr Coveney said Mr Trump’s comments as he accepted the result this morning were “generous”.

“His comments aimed at the international community, I think were also generous, I think we need to respond to that now,”” Mr Coveney said.

“We need now to move on from the divisive, fractious nature of that campaign and much of its commentary and listen to what Donald Trump has to say as president, and certainly what he has said so far today, from what I heard, were attempts at unifying people after a very divisive campaign and also reaching out to other parts of the world.”

He said “of course” the new president would be welcome here.

“I think we should always welcome a US leader to Ireland. The relationship between Ireland and the US is arguably a more special relationship than the US has with any other country, that is valuable, it needs to be maintained and that will certainly happen and this government will ensure that happens.”

He said Ireland “needs” to have a close relationship with “any president” but added that “that doesn’t mean that we will agree with everything that he says in the future and we need to be brave enough to say that”.

Mr Coveney also said that the Irish Government would continue to “work with” the undocumented Irish in the US and would advocate for them.