Ireland's EU Council Presidency: What does it mean? What are the costs?

James Cox

Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July 1st to December 31st, 2026.

So what does this mean?

What is the Presidency of the Council of the European Union?

The presidency of the Council of the European Union is responsible for the functioning of the Council of the European Union.

This is the co-legislator of the EU alongside the European Parliament. It rotates among EU member states every six months.

This means Ireland will play a key role in EU legislation across a variety of issues.

The Government launched public consultations in late 2025 to gather diverse perspectives from Irish society to inform the presidency's focus areas.

The consultation process concluded on December 12th.

Ireland will chair Council meetings that decide the direction of EU priorities and legislation.

Sustainability will be a key theme of Ireland's presidency and several high level meetings will occur, some potentially outside of Dublin.

Has Ireland held the presidency before?

Ireland has held the presidency seven times previously, in 1975, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1996, 2004, and 2013. 

Who attends Council meetings?

Meetings are attended by ministers from each EU member state, whose specific roles change depending on the topic (eg finance ministers for economic talks, environment ministers for climate).

EU Commissioners from member states also attend the meetings.

Irish ministers will chair the meetings for the duration of Ireland's presidency.

Security

Security will be a key issue during Ireland's presidency.

During Denmark's presidency drone activity forced airports to close and this could be a risk at Dublin Airport.

The issue was once again highlighted when drones, believed to be Russian, were spotted in the flight path of the plane carrying Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy during his recent visit to Ireland.

European Council president António Costa susbequently made a visit where he said he had full confidence in Ireland to ensure the security of the State and the security of the European Council. 

Questions still remain over the State's defence ability where Ireland could be a target of hybrid attacks, including cyberattacks or drone incursions.

In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews said Ireland is "totally underprepared" for dealing with threats in our waters, but can avail of new support from the Connecting Europe Facility, an EU funding programme that is set to be increased from €6 billion to €30 billion.

Mr Andrews said this was an ideal time to focus on the defence of our waters, including the Connecting Europe Facility, as the next presidency of the EU will go to another coastal country, Cyprus.

"The European Treaty is very specific; it says there should be special regard to island member states in terms of energy security because we're off the coast of the continent of Europe.

"That is something that's appreciated at EU level. So while I'm negotiating the Connecting Europe Facility and the sums involved, it is something that I will be bringing to the attention of my colleagues.

"We'll have support during the Cyprus presidency too, the next one, of course, another island nation, so also very cognisant of vulnerabilities in the eastern Mediterranean and the need for interconnectedness. So we'll have 12 months of island presidencies, it's a good time for the Connecting Europe facility to go through the Parliament."

What issues will be at the forefront of Ireland's presidency?

Housing issues, migration and climate action will be three big issues in the next six months.

Support for Ukraine will also be crucial with peace talks to end the war ongoing.

Accession to the EU is another area of interest, with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine currently waiting to join the bloc.

Active negotiations are going on for most of these countries, particularly Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. Turkey's talks are currently frozen.

How much will the presidency cost Ireland?

Minister of State for European affairs Thomas Byrne has said the costs will be "significant".

According to the Department of Public Expenditure’s report on the 2026 budget, €282 million has been put in place for the EU presidency.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has also been allocated €11.7 million in capital expenditure for the EU presidency. 

According to The Irish Times, An Garda Síochána has been allocated €125 million for security during the six-month term.