DUBLIN, April 15 (AFP) - US President Joe Biden said Friday as he was leaving Ireland that he will be announcing "relatively soon" a decision on whether to run for re-election in 2024.

"I've already made that calculus. We'll announce it relatively soon. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done," he told reporters, adding "I told you my plan is to run again".

Biden has for months said he intends to run for a second term, but the timeline for an official announcement has repeatedly slipped. Advisers first indicated the president may announce his plans around February’s State of the Union address, but when that didn’t happen, reports suggested Biden would announce in the spring.