Foreword by Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
I am pleased to publish the 2026 Action Plan of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This is the first plan of its kind for the Department, setting out clearly the work we will deliver over the coming year. The plan outlines the key actions we will take to achieve the goals in our Statement of Strategy and Programme for Government commitments. It also provides a public record reflecting the breadth and depth of work across our offices at home and overseas, delivering for Irish citizens. Together with Ministers of State Richmond and Byrne, I look forward to leading the Department in delivering this programme. Progress will be reviewed regularly throughout the year.
2026 will be a significant year for Ireland as we intensify preparations for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union before officially taking on the Presidency role from July. We will support approximately 250 Presidency meetings and events throughout Ireland, including an informal Gymnich Foreign Affairs Council and European Council.
A meeting of the European Political Community during the Presidency will be the largest ever political meeting to take place in Ireland.
My officials and I will continue to work closely with all key stakeholders towards the successful operation and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, and the stability of the Good Friday Agreement institutions across all three strands. Strengthened Ireland-UK relations will remain a high priority.
In a continually changing and challenging geopolitical context, the Department will work to uphold international law and support the multilateral system. I am deeply concerned by the recent outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. We must seek de-escalation and an end to this conflict and urgently need to get back to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
Through this Action Plan, we will continue to support efforts for peace that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and the UN Charter and continue principled engagement in the Middle East supporting a ceasefire and longer- term peace efforts towards a two- state solution. We will also advance our campaign for election to the UN Human Rights Council in October for a two-year term from 2027-2029.
A number of actions in this plan focus on the continued provision and enhancement of timely and professional passport and consular assistance and services, including through the introduction of new technology and innovations. I am proud of the high quality of passport and consular services this Department provides, including most recently to the thousands of Irish citizens in the Gulf region impacted by conflict. These new innovations, will enable us to continue to respond effectively to the needs of citizens.
We will continue to deepen and expand our global engagement this year, with the opening of new
Consulates General in Melbourne and Malaga. New staffing resources will be delivered to reinforce our Embassy and Consulates General across the US and in key locations around the world, in response to shifting global challenges and opportunities. In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government to develop a successor to Global Ireland 2025, Global Ireland 2040 will be developed this year and we will play a central role in setting its ambition and delivering on its objectives, including through a number of new regional and thematic whole of Government strategies. I will also convene meetings of the Government Trade Forum throughout this year.
In delivering this Action Plan the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will seek to protect and promote Ireland’s values and interests, and to deliver strongly for the people of Ireland.
Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade