Tánaiste and Minister Byrne host event to mark one year to Ireland's EU Presidency

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, and the Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, today hosted a special event at Iveagh House entitled “Marking One Year to Ireland's EU Presidency: A Look Ahead”. It focused on Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union, marking exactly one year before the start of Ireland’s Presidency term on 1 July 2026.

The event provided an opportunity to reflect on Ireland's role in Europe and look ahead to 2026 when Ireland will take a leading role in shaping and driving forward the EU’s policy and legislative agenda. Guests included Ambassadors of EU Member States and candidate countries, members of the Oireachtas, representatives of civil society organisations and business groups, and representatives of youth organisations.

Following the event, the Tánaiste said: “Today begins our countdown to 1 July 2026, the start of our six month Presidency. This is a moment for us to reflect on, prepare for and anticipate the opportunity that the rotating Presidency offers for Member States and of course Irish citizens.

“Ireland’s EU Presidency will require us to play a significant role at European level and to lead the European policy agenda. It is an opportunity to shape Ireland's message to our EU partners and to the wider world; to influence how the EU engages globally; and crucially, to speak to the Irish people about the EU at a time when populism challenges the very foundations of our democratic project.

“I was particularly pleased to welcome representatives of youth groups to today’s event. As we plan for Ireland’s Presidency, we are planning a programme of community, youth and schools outreach which will help to build awareness of the impact of Ireland’s EU membership and the influential role Ireland plays within the EU.”

Minister Byrne, who also addressed the event, said: “The European Union needs to deliver for all its Member States and for all its citizens, and that principle will underpin the approach of the Irish Presidency. Working with our European partners, we intend to advance a set of priorities that takes account of the interests and needs of all sectors of society across our continent.

“With a year to go until the start of our Presidency term, preparations across Government are intensifying. We have clearly set out our commitment to resource and deliver a successful Presidency, and we are confident that, by working with our partners across Europe, we will be able to make a significant and lasting contribution to shape the future of the EU.”

During the event, the Ambassador of Denmark, H.E. Lars Thuesen, outlined Denmark's priorities for its EU Presidency which begins today. The Tánaiste and Minister Byrne wished Denmark every success for its six-month Presidency term.

ENDS

Press Office

1 July 2025

Ireland will hold its eighth Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2026. Ireland will take over the Presidency from Cyprus, and the Irish Presidency will form the first part of an eighteen month “Trio Presidency” also involving Lithuania and Greece.

During the Presidency, Irish Ministers will be required to chair meetings of EU Ministers in the Council, steer the Council’s legislative and policy agenda, and interact on behalf of the Council with the other EU institutions. Irish officials will be required to chair more than 170 Council preparatory bodies, and to lead engagement with other EU institutions at technical and expert levels on legislative files.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to resource and deliver a successful EU Presidency in 2026. Planning for the Presidency is being led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in close cooperation with the Department of the Taoiseach, and with active engagement from all government departments.

The government recently confirmed that Ireland will host a summit meeting of the European Political Community and an informal meeting of the European Council during the Presidency term, and that these meetings will take place in Dublin on dates to be agreed with the President of the European Council. Up to 22 informal meetings of EU Ministers will be hosted in Ireland during the Presidency, and it is anticipated that approximately a quarter of these meetings will take place outside Dublin. This programme of high-level Presidency meetings is similar in its scale to the meetings programmes of other recent and upcoming EU Presidencies.