Individual Government departments risk doing “significant” harm to Ireland’s reputation among its European peers if there is any sense they are not pulling their weight during the upcoming EU presidency, internal documents state.
There is a concern inside Government that the extra workload from the Council of the EU presidency could lead to a slowdown on the Coalition’s domestic agenda, when Ireland assumes the influential deal-making role from July 1st until the end of the year.
An internal paper prepared for top officials in the Department of Justice, seen by The Irish Times, said there was a danger civil servants would be “fully occupied” by the demands of the EU presidency, pulling attention from work on national legislation.
“There is of course also a significant risk that Ministers will expect progress to continue on their domestic policy agendas at a time when many staff will be fully occupied by the presidency. Initial discussions have been held with the Minister to emphasise this risk,” the briefing for the department’s management board stated.
At the same time there would be a “significant reputational risk” to Ireland if any Government department was believed to be shirking its responsibilities to help move the European agenda forward and broker compromises between the union’s member states.
The paper warned there would be fallout “at home and in Brussels, if the Department does not play its part in delivering a successful presidency”. The document, dated October 7th, 2025, was released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.
The Council of the EU presidency rotates between member states every six months. Ireland last held the role in 2013. The presidency will see Irish Ministers and diplomats steer discussions in Brussels and nudge the bloc’s other 26 national governments towards common positions and compromises.
There is a worry at senior levels of Government that Ministers whose briefs cut across a lot of EU policy will be under particular pressure, such as Minister for Transport, Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien and Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke.
A large number of high-level meetings will be held in the Republic during the six months, including a summit of European leaders in Dublin’s Convention Centre in November.
[ How will Ireland try to make its mark during its stint with the EU presidency?Opens in new window ]
One diplomatic source said Ireland had contacted neighbours in Europe to co-operate on security arrangements.
Internal records show the French government was open to sending police to assist gardaí during the EU presidency.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan discussed the matter with France’s ambassador to Ireland, Céline Place, last October, according to notes prepared by his officials beforehand.
The notes advised O’Callaghan to thank the ambassador for “the openness of the French authorities to considering the potential for support from your police system”.
Department officials said Ireland would be “guided by our security services” when it came to any support “required to ensure that the Irish presidency is delivered safely and securely”.
When asked about offers of help the State had received from other governments, a spokeswoman said the department “does not comment on operational security matters”.
A separate document drawn up by justice officials said the summit of nearly 50 heads of government and state, a forum known as the European Political Community, would be “the single largest security operation ever undertaken” by the Garda.
