Minister McEntee and Minister Byrne Update on Preparations for Ireland’s EU Presidency

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, and the Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, today provided an update on preparations for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union later this year. Ireland’s EU Presidency will begin on 1 July. During the six-month Presidency term, Irish Ministers will chair meetings of the Council of the EU, help drive forward the EU’s legislative and policy agenda, and host a wide range of high-level meetings in Ireland.

With less than two months to go until the start of the Presidency, preparations are entering their final phase across Government, with all Departments involved in planning and coordination. Work is also nearing completion on Ireland’s policy priorities for the Presidency, informed by engagement with European partners and stakeholders across Ireland.

Minister McEntee said: “With less than two months to go until the start of Ireland’s EU Presidency, preparations are now entering their final phase across Government, with all Ministers and Departments actively involved. We are also finalising our policy priorities for the Presidency, informed by extensive engagement with our European partners and stakeholder groups here in Ireland.

“Ireland’s EU Presidency comes at an important moment for Europe. EU leaders agreed a very ambitious agenda for the coming months at their meeting in Cyprus at the end of April, particularly in relation to measures to enhance Europe’s competitiveness and strengthen the Single Market.

“In recent months, I have been engaging with companies and industry representatives on the shared opportunities and challenges facing Europe’s economy. There is a clear ambition across Europe to create the conditions for businesses to grow, innovate and compete, while also strengthening economic resilience and deepening cooperation across the Single Market.

“As Presidency, Ireland will work closely with our European partners to help build momentum behind that agenda and support practical outcomes that benefit people, businesses and communities across the European Union.”

The Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, commented: “The task ahead of us in taking on the EU Presidency is very significant, and I know from the programme of visits that I have been undertaking to EU and European capitals in recent months, that expectations of the Irish Presidency are very high. Across the Government, we will work hard to meet those expectations and deliver a successful EU Presidency that enhances Ireland’s international standing and influence and delivers for Europe and its people.”

As part of the Presidency, Ireland will host 22 informal Ministerial meetings, alongside a summit meeting of the European Political Community and an informal meeting of the European Council. These meetings give Ministers from across the EU an opportunity to discuss major policy issues and help shape the EU’s future approach in key areas.

The meetings will take place across a wide range of sectors, reflecting the breadth of the Irish Presidency agenda. In line with the Programme for Government commitment to ensure the whole country benefits from the profile and opportunities of the Presidency, six of the meetings will take place outside Dublin, across Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Mayo and Wicklow. Dublin Castle will serve as the principal venue for the Presidency meetings programme.

Minister McEntee said: “These meetings will bring Ministers from across the 27 EU Member States together to address the major challenges facing Europe and build common solutions rooted in our shared values and interests. At a time of growing global uncertainty, Ireland’s Presidency will help shape a strong and united Europe.

“The regional balance of meetings also ensures that communities across Ireland share in the opportunities, visibility and benefits that the Presidency will bring.”

Minister Byrne said: “The meetings that take place in Ireland during the Irish EU Presidency will allow Ministers from across Europe, as well as European Commissioners and other participants, to address central policy questions on the EU’s agenda. The meetings also provide an opportunity to showcase the best of Ireland to our European partners. The Irish EU Presidency will ensure that the meetings held here are productive in the interests of delivering positive outcomes for Europe and its people.”

ENDS

Press Office

19 May 2026

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.

Ireland’s priorities and policy programme for the Presidency will be finalised and published in June, shortly before the start of the Presidency term. A process of domestic stakeholder consultations to inform the development of Ireland’s Presidency priorities included an open call for public submissions, which closed in December 2025 and received 484 responses. These submissions have been published on the gov.ie website.

During the Presidency, a major programme of meetings and events will be hosted in Ireland. This will include 22 informal Ministerial meetings, as follows: