Remarks by Minister Byrne at Queen’s University Belfast

Remarks by Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, on 'The 2026 Irish EU Presidency' at Queen’s University Belfast

26 February 2026

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Dia dhaoibh go léir,

A Dhaoine Uaisle,

A Mhic Léinn,

A Chairde,

Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer,

Vice-President Dr Ryan Feeney,

Dr Peter McLoughlin,

Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly

Students,

Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a pleasure to be back at Queen’s University, this evening, to share perspectives on Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Queen’s University Belfast for inviting me here today, and for the warm welcome you have extended.

Overview of EU Presidency

So, turning to the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

On 1 July, Ireland will take on the EU Presidency, for the eighth time.

The Irish EU Presidency approaches us, against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, and complexity.

But in taking on this task, we will take confidence from our experience of delivering successful Irish EU Presidencies, over the decades.

In seeking to navigate the turbulent times we live in, we will at all times be grounded in our principles, and guided by a sense of vision – about what we can achieve for Europe, and its people, during our EU Presidency.

The fundamental task of the EU Presidency is to steer and manage the work of the Council – the EU institution that brings together Government Ministers, from all 27 EU Member States.

Ireland will also lead the Council’s engagement with the European Parliament, and work with the Parliament, to negotiate and agree new EU legislation.

During our EU Presidency, Ireland will have to act impartially, seeking to move the Council’s agenda forward in a way which accommodates the views and interests of all EU Member States.

But, we will also have the opportunity to shape the EU’s agenda, and focus the Council’s work on the areas we believe should be the most significant priorities for the Union.

Our priorities for the EU Presidency will not be finalised until closer to our July start date.

However, our approach will be guided by the EU Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 and its three pillars of, values, security, and competitiveness.

I will touch upon each of these in turn, but first I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the significance of taking some time to discuss the EU Presidency, here in Belfast.

In preparing for 1 July, I have undertaken an extensive programme, of public engagement.

I have undertaken this outreach, in order to raise awareness of the EU Presidency, and to hear from people what really matters to them, when it comes to shaping our agenda.

To this end, I organised a public consultation last year to inform our thinking.

I should note, that a significant number of responses touched on North-South, or on all-island, issues.

The range of issues raised was wide, from perspectives on EU policy and legislative issues that may impact on Northern Ireland, and the island as a whole, to perspectives on the evolving relationship between the EU and the UK.

Realistically, the level of appetite to engage with Ireland’s EU Presidency is unsurprising.

Shared membership of the EU was a fundamental underpinning to relationships on this island, as indeed, was Ireland’s relationship with the UK for decades.

Ireland’s common EU membership with the UK gave generations of leaders, from across these islands, the opportunity to build relationships and trust.

It allowed us to work together to tackle common European problems in areas of mutual interest – agriculture, education, employment and the environment amongst them.

Critically, these relationships were crucial to achieving the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The role of the EU, in underpinning peace in Northern Ireland, is central to our view of the European Union, as a union of values.

Peter – I know that you – as indeed many – have been much inspired by John Hume in your work.

And he remains an inspiration to me personally.

When reflecting on values, his words are certainly worthy of quotation, particularly when he said that:

“The values of partnership, equality, tolerance, respect for difference and inclusion, are the values that provided inspiration for our Agreement in Northern Ireland. They are values of the European Union, and they are values that will be central to the resolution of conflict, anywhere in the world.”

The importance of these values, and of close cooperation between Ireland, the UK and the EU is evident in tangible terms, in the current PEACEPLUS 2021-2027 programme, with an allocation of over €1.1bn.

PEACEPLUS, and its predecessors, have been key drivers of cross-border cooperation for three decades now.

It has made a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of beneficiaries, and provided vital investment to Northern Ireland, and the cross-border region.

PEACEPLUS represents a shared recognition, that support for peace and prosperity on this island is as important today, as it has been at any stage, since the first, tentative steps towards a peace process.

In March last year, we saw the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Starmer issue a Joint Statement outlining their shared commitment to the successful delivery of the 2021-2027 PEACEPLUS programme, and their agreement, in principle, to a successor programme.

Such actions are to be strongly welcomed.

As we all appreciate, the decision of the UK to leave the EU, presented enormous challenges, in, and for, Northern Ireland.

As someone who served as European Affairs Minister during Brexit, I see our successful navigation of those challenges as a testament to the fact that the EU, and its member states, remain committed to sustaining the peace and stability that it helped to build.

And I regularly acknowledge, and thank, fellow EU member states for that commitment and understanding.

Values

Returning to our EU Presidency priorities, and the broader rubric of values.

Values will be the first core pillar of our Presidency, and broadly encompasses, the foundational values of our Union – which include, democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.

Article Two of the Treaty of the European Union states that the EU is:

“founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities”.

Throughout our EU Presidency, we will be a strong advocate for the core values set out in the Treaty, working with partners and institutions alike to address challenges to the rule of law.

This includes conversations about democratic backsliding, which, regrettably, is all too evident in some Member States.

I will continue to make the point that a strong rule of law culture is the basis not only for a resilient and open society, but also of a flourishing economy, upon which our prosperity depends.

Our deep appreciation of the values of the EU has meant that Ireland is also a strong supporter of enlargement, and our EU Presidency will reflect this.

We firmly believe that other European countries deserve the same opportunities, which were afforded to Ireland, when we first joined the European Economic Community in 1973.

Enlargement policy is also the EU’s best policy tool to ensure the security of our continent.

We are well aware, for example, of malign influences seeking to destabilise both the Western Balkans, and the Eastern Neighbourhood.

Some candidates have been in the accession process for 20 years.

We cannot take these long-held aspirations for EU membership for granted.

And nor can we take their citizens’ support, for EU membership, for granted.

We have a generational opportunity to further unify our continent.

It is in Europe’s interest to advance this agenda.

As European Affairs Minister during the EU Presidency, I will chair the EU General Affairs Council, at which, enlargement is a strong focus.

I am determined to see Ireland use our EU Presidency to make real progress, on individual candidacies, like Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova and Albania.

Just yesterday, I met with the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, and I assured him of my total commitment to not seeing a day wasted, of our EU Presidency, when it comes to getting their accession process over the line.

Of course, to achieve this, the candidate countries in question must implement the necessary reforms, but we will support them in this process, however we can.

Progress will also depend on political conditions, due to the requirement for unanimity among EU Member States, in the enlargement process.

Competitiveness

Turning to the second pillar on Competitiveness.

I believe that Ireland has a unique opportunity to influence the competitiveness agenda, in the times ahead, and it will be one of our top priorities.

As the challenges posed to Europe’s economy increase, our performance is plateauing, if not deteriorating, across a range of indicators.

Competitiveness is what ensures that the economy thrives, and that citizens can live comfortably, through the fostering of good jobs, good salaries and a good quality of life.

Earlier this month, the European Council focused discussions on competitiveness, and how to tackle these challenges, and soon it will be Ireland’s job to take this work forward.

Broadly, we see our approach taking shape, in three forms:

1. Supporting the Single Market;
2. Deepening the Single Market; and
3. Transforming the Single Market.

We will work to deliver on, the full potential of the Single Market, including through building economic resilience at home, while maintaining openness abroad.

We want to deepen the single market, through a Savings and Investment Union, a new 28th company law regime – which is intended to provide the option for companies to set-up, operate and scale-up more easily, across the single market, and reducing administrative burdens.

We want to see the transformation of the Single Market, to ensure it is future proofed for the challenges of tomorrow, through investment in research and innovation, and diversifying our trading relationships.

On the subject of “European Preference” while we must remain vigilant to threats, particularly strategic dependencies for critical goods, I believe that we must also recognise, how we continue to benefit from openness, knowledge transfer and collaborative research across borders.

We will continue to shape an ambitious simplification of the EU rulebook, to support EU competitiveness – including rules on digital, environment, public procurement and medical devices.

In particular, we will prioritise simplification efforts, that can support the delivery of affordable housing, and critical infrastructure domestically.

Ukraine

The third and final pillar is Security and Defence.

This week, we marked the 4th anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Over those 4 years, we have seen the security environment in Europe transformed.

Ireland remains unequivocal in our support and solidarity with Ukraine, and this support will be reflected in Ireland’s approach, to our EU Presidency.

Next month, I will mark St Patrick’s Day in Kyiv, as a reflection of Ireland’s total solidarity with Ukraine and its people.

And during my visit, I will meet with government counterparts, and others, to discuss how Ireland can best support Ukraine and its people.

I welcome the ongoing efforts of the United States to end Russia’s war of aggression.

Any peace agreement must uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, based on respect for the principles of the UN Charter, and with credible security guarantees in place.

From Ireland’s perspective, the fundamental principle that borders cannot be changed by force must be upheld.

Unfortunately, it is clear that Russia’s response to peace efforts has been to launch further attacks targeting Ukraine’s towns and critical infrastructure.

This has resulted in civilian casualties, and has deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heating and water in the middle of winter.

Ireland is committed to working with our EU, and other partners, to ensure that Ukraine gets the political, financial, military, and humanitarian support that it needs, including through a €90 billion loan agreed by the EU.

Security and defence agenda

The rules-based order, on which our security and prosperity depend, is increasingly under strain.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has transformed the security landscape, with rising geopolitical tensions, and ongoing hybrid attacks across the continent, which present a complex environment for European countries.

We cannot solve the problems that confront us alone.

The Irish Government firmly believes that the EU must continue to strengthen its role as a principled global actor, and invest in our relationships, with our international partners.

During our EU Presidency, Ireland will advance the EU security and defence agenda, while acknowledging the specific character of every Member State – including our own policy of military neutrality.

At the same time, Ireland is determined to step up our own security to confront threats, to uphold our values and to protect the well-being of our citizens and our economy.

Since I was appointed Minister of State for Defence, I have advocated a policy of “principles-based pragmatism”, in Ireland.

I believe that pragmatism is required, in facing up to the threats we are under.

And pragmatism is required, in taking on those threats.

But that sense of pragmatism must be rooted – at all times – in the constitutional and legal principles governing our State.

Of course, the EU and the United Kingdom face many common global and security challenges, in an increasingly volatile context.

From our perspective, it simply makes sense to work in partnership, to address such issues.

Ireland welcomed the agreement of the EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership, at last year’s EU-UK summit, in London.

We see the United Kingdom as a vital likeminded partner, in a challenging geopolitical environment, and it is in our mutual interest to have a close relationship in the area of foreign and security policy.

EU-UK relationship

Just as the UK is a vital partner for EU security, I believe it is also key to the other pillars, I have outlined today.

The UK shares our values, in a world where these values are increasingly, under threat.

Our trading relationship with the UK is also very much key to our competitiveness – as a market, a powerhouse of renewable energy, and a bastion of world-class research.

I warmly welcome the strengthening relationship, between the EU and the UK, in particular, since the EU-UK Summit last May.

Ireland has always supported the strongest possible relationship between the EU, and the UK, and we will continue to do so as Presidency.

As part of this, I hope to see discussions on UK participation in the EU internal electricity market well advanced.

I welcome the agreed ambition to conclude negotiations on the Youth Experience Scheme, a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, and on linking our respective Emission Trading Systems by the next EU-UK Summit.

This will provide real advantages to all our citizens, through enhanced trade, environment cooperation, and people-to-people contacts.

I sincerely believe that the strongest possible relationship with the UK is in the interests of the EU as a whole.

The world is volatile and the future is uncertain.

And to put it bluntly, we cannot afford for the EU’s relationship with a partner as crucial as the UK, to be anything other than the best it can be.

Conclusion

I will conclude by, once again, quoting John Hume – who said that one of the principles of the EU is:

“… that the representatives of the different countries work together on their common interests, largely economic. That is in effect what I have called the healing process, because by working together they have left behind the distrusts and prejudices of the past and the new Europe has evolved. lt is still evolving.”

Ireland will continue to play our part in that evolution, as we look forward, to taking on the EU Presidency.

So, I look forward to our conversation this evening, and ongoing dialogue, in preparation of our EU Presidency.

Thank you.