EU Presidency

Thursday, 21 May 2026

Questions (37, 47, 53)

Naoise Ó Muirí

Question:

37. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide an update on preparations for Ireland’s EU Presidency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38336/26]

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Michael Cahill

Question:

47. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a venue outside of Dublin, such as Killarney, has been considered as a location for summit meetings of EU senior officials in preparation for Ireland’s hosting of the EU Presidency from July to December 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38106/26]

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John Clendennen

Question:

53. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the preparations being undertaken by her Department for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, with particular emphasis on the way in which this presidency will be utilised to advocate for the interests of rural Ireland, including agricultural and community development policies; whether there will be scope to host meetings in regional areas such as Offaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38314/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 47 and 53 together.

Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the eighth time from 1 July to 31 December of this year. The Presidency will be an opportunity for Ireland to play an important role in leading and shaping the EU’s policy and legislative agenda, and the Government has made a firm commitment to resource and deliver a successful Presidency in 2026.

As Presidency, we will take forward an ambitious agenda, seeking to serve the Union’s collective interests and respond to Europe’s most pressing and urgent needs, while preparing the Union to face the challenges of the future.

Preparations for Ireland’s Presidency are well underway, both here in Ireland and in Brussels. Our priorities and policy programme for the Presidency are now being finalised and will be published in mid-June.

The Strategic Agenda for the Union for the period up to 2029 has provided the principal backdrop for the development of our Presidency priorities, which have also been informed by extensive consultation with partners across Europe.

We will set out an agenda which we believe reflects a shared understanding of the issues and objectives that will require the attention of the Council in the coming months, to allow us to deliver in a meaningful way for our citizens across the Union.

Bearing this in mind, we have also undertaken a process of public consultation to help inform the development of our priorities. An open call for public submissions was launched in late 2025, allowing all stakeholders and interested parties the opportunity to have their say on the development of Ireland’s EU Presidency policy programme. The 484 written submissions received have helped to inform the development of our Presidency priorities.

Work on the definition of our priorities is focusing on three broad pillars, reflecting the pillars of the strategic agenda: competitiveness, values and security.

Ireland’s Presidency will place emphasis on the importance of ensuring and sustaining Europe’s rural and coastal communities. In particular, as Ireland advances work in negotiating the EU’s long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework, we will work towards delivering a future framework for the Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies. Work in this regard will be critical in reducing administrative burdens and supporting effective implementation on the ground through locally-led and collaborative approaches that support rural communities.

In all areas of work, we will build on the excellent progress achieved by the Cyprus Presidency. We in turn will seek to lay strong foundations for further progress in important areas of policy during the Presidency terms of our trio partners, Lithuania and Greece

We are also now finalising the calendar of events scheduled to take place in Ireland during our Presidency term. During the Presidency, Ireland will host a summit of the European Political Community, an informal meeting of the European Council, and 22 informal Ministerial meetings. Overall, including conferences and meetings of officials from across the 27 EU Member States, we expect to host over 270 Presidency events in Ireland. Planning for these meetings is now well advanced.

The Government has committed in the Programme for Government to bring some of the high-level meetings of our Presidency to cities and counties across Ireland, ensuring the entire country benefits from the profile the Presidency brings. Planning for the Presidency meetings programme included a detailed assessment of the suitability of a wide range of locations as possible venues for Presidency meetings and events, taking account of specific criteria.

I am determined to ensure that the entire country can engage with and benefit from the Presidency, and we are also progressing work to develop a programme of domestic outreach and engagement. We will leverage the Presidency as an opportunity to enhance the involvement of Ireland’s youth, and rural and regional communities, in EU affairs.

This will include the EU Presidency County Pairings initiative, through which each county in the State has been paired with another EU Member State to facilitate broad public and community engagement with our European partners during the Presidency term, and the development of specific publications for children and young people focused on the work Ireland will undertake as Presidency.

Ireland has a proud record of success from our previous Presidency terms and we are confident that with the support of our partners we will again be able to make a significant and positive contribution to the EU through our 2026 Presidency.