Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the support Ireland is providing to candidate countries to the European Union; when he envisions certain countries may come into membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57467/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is a strong supporter of EU enlargement, provided that candidate countries meet the necessary requirements for membership. We firmly believe that it is through EU membership that peace and prosperity can best be ensured across our continent. The change in geopolitical circumstances following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine further demonstrated the strategic importance of the enlargement process for the EU.

There are currently nine candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkiye and Ukraine. Kosovo is considered a ‘potential candidate country’.

Under the “Copenhagen Criteria” for EU membership, candidate countries are first required to reach the necessary EU standards which cover six thematic clusters, containing thirty-three negotiating chapters in total. Countries can only join the European Union once they have fulfilled these criteria. Each EU member state must then ratify membership for that candidate country.

While it is not possible at this stage to predict a timeline for this process to conclude, progressing individual candidacies on a merit basis will be a priority of Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency. We will seek to work with the Commission, candidate countries, and potential candidate countries between now and the conclusion of our Presidency to advance this generational opportunity to expand our union. We will also continue to advocate at both Ministerial and senior official level for the need for the accession process to remain merit-based and strongly regret the bilateralisation of the accession process.

My Department, through our EU Enlargement and European Fundamental Values Fund also provides practical support to both candidate and potential candidate countries in aligning with EU standards. Ireland also continues to provide financial and capacity building support for Ukraine’s EU candidacy. In September, as part of a package of €35.4 million in humanitarian assistance and stabilisation supports to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, I announced €1.5 million in funding for the Ukraine2EU initiative. This initiative supports Ukraine in coordinating and monitoring its accession process, and ensuring the harmonisation of Ukrainian legislation with EU Law.