Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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170. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on Ireland's plans to host a meeting of the European Political Community; the key themes that may be explored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16411/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2026. Since the inaugural European Political Community (EPC) Summit held in Prague in 2022, during the Czech EU Presidency, it has become the established practice that the EU Member State holding the Presidency of the Council in the second half of each year offers to host an EPC Summit. This was the case for Spain in 2023 and Hungary in 2024, and a summit will be hosted by Denmark during its EU Presidency in the second half of this year.

As outlined in the Programme for Government, we expect to host a meeting of the European Political Community in Ireland during the Presidency, as well as a programme of between 16 and 20 informal Council meetings at Ministerial level.

My Department and the Department of the Taoiseach are taking forward initial preparatory work, in coordination with other relevant Departments and agencies, on the practical arrangements for all Summits and meetings that may be held in Ireland during our term in office. These will be further developed, along with the potential policy priorities and themes for the meeting, following consultations in due course with European partners.