Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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199. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of Ireland preparing for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2026 and a public consultation underway, if the Government will publish the timeframe and regional engagement plan explicitly for Cork and Munster stakeholders; the way in which regional priorities for example, maritime innovation, sustainable tourism, regional connectivity will be elevated through that process; and the resources which will be allocated to ensure regional input is translated into the national Presidency programme. [61170/25]

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 process of developing Ireland’s Presidency priorities is well underway, taking account of the EU’s Strategic Agenda for 2024-29 and the legislative initiatives set out in the European Commission’s Work Programme for 2026, which was published in October this year.

As a part of this process, my Department is conducting a series of consultation meetings with stakeholders from across civil society, trade unions, business and other interest groups. This series of meetings commenced 28 October and will continue throughout the remainder of 2025.

An online, written consultation process was also launched 5 November to ensure that all stakeholders and interested parties from right across the country have the opportunity to have their say on the development of Ireland’s Presidency priorities. This consultation, hosted on the gov.ie website, will be open for submissions until 12 December.

This process will allow consideration to be given to a broad range of different policy issues, from diverse voices throughout Ireland, as our Presidency policy programme is developed. This programme will be published in June 2026, shortly before the start of our Presidency term.