Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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85. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether civil society will be consulted in relation to Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency; the process for this; when will it begin; the way in which Irish organisations can express an interest in participating; if financial resources will be made available to support civil society engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47449/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the eighth time from 1 July to 31 December 2026. This will be an important opportunity for Ireland to lead and shape the European agenda, and the Government has made a firm commitment to resource and deliver a successful Presidency in 2026.

Ireland's Presidency priorities and policy programme are currently under development, taking account of the EU's Strategic Agenda for 2024-29 and the legislative programme proposed by the European Commission. This work will also be shaped by our own priorities in relation to the EU.

As part of this process, my Department will organise a series of consultation meetings later this year with stakeholders from across civil society, trade unions, business and other interest groups. A written consultation process will also be launched in late 2025, to ensure all stakeholders and interested parties have the opportunity to have their say on the development of Ireland’s EU Presidency priorities and policy programme. Other Government Departments are also engaging in sector-specific Presidency consultations with stakeholder groups.

Ireland's priorities and policy programme for the Presidency will be published, as is usual practice, shortly before the start of our Presidency term, in June 2026.