Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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149. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide details of the agreed external contracts for Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council in 2026; the purpose of each; and the estimated value. [65344/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2026. It 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. Preparations are well under way, led by my Department in close co-ordination with the Department of the Taoiseach and with the active participation of all Departments across the Government.

Within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the EU Presidency Operational Planning Unit is tasked with leading co-ordination of operational planning, working with all other Government Departments and relevant agencies. This work includes putting in place key operational and logistical building blocks to underpin the delivery of the programme of Presidency meetings to be held in Ireland. These will include an informal meeting of the European Council, a summit meeting of the European Political Community and 22 informal Ministerial meetings as well as approximately 250 other Presidency meetings and events. In that regard, two external contracts have been agreed to date by the Department's EU Presidency Operational Planning Unit:

1) Accommodation Services – Club Travel

Suitable accommodation services are important to the delivery of a successful Presidency and to ensure positive experiences for the delegations from across the European Union who will travel to meetings in Ireland. The contract addresses the core accommodation booking needs for all Presidency meetings and will also provide a dedicated online booking portal for delegates. The services are being drawn down through a NASF (Notification to Activate Services Form) utilising the Office of Government Procurement’s (OGP) central Travel Management Framework, with the support of the OGP. The estimated overall contract value to service the needs across all Government Departments is in the region of €2.5m.

2) Accreditation System – INCERT

This contract is for provision of a secure accreditation, registration, badging and event logistics planning solution to support planning and delivery of Ireland’s EU Presidency programme of over 250 meetings and events in Ireland. The accreditation system plays a central role in event security and access control, and also supports the effective operational and logistical delivery of meetings and events. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was supported by the OGP in the process to agree this contract. The estimated contract value is currently €800,000.