Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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136. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which the trio procedure associated with Ireland's Presidency of the Council of Ministers works, specifically when Ireland's involvement in the trio begins and ends; whether particular policy initiatives have been identified; whether he expects Ireland to be guided by progress reports from the Danish & Cypriot presidencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54208/25]

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.

The Presidency of the Council is held by pre-established groups of three Member States, known as the 'Trio’, for a period of 18 months. The groups are established on the basis of equal rotation among the Member States, taking into account their diversity and geographical balance within the EU. The Irish Presidency of the Council will form the first part of a Trio which will also include the Presidencies of Lithuania (January to June 2027) and Greece (July to December 2027).

Ireland is working with its Trio partners, Lithuania and Greece, to develop a Trio Presidency programme which will ensure coherence in the work of the Council through the relevant 18-month Trio period from July 2026 to December 2027. This programme will be prepared in close cooperation with the President of the European Council, the European Commission, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Our Trio programme will take into account the EU's Strategic Agenda for 2024-29 and the legislative programme proposed by the European Commission. The evolution of the Council’s legislative agenda through the Danish and Cypriot Presidencies will also have a bearing on the definition of Trio priorities to be taken forward over the 18 month period of the Irish, Lithuanian and Greek Presidencies.

The Trio programme, as is usual practice, will be presented to the General Affairs Council shortly before the start of our Presidency term, in June 2026.