Remarks by Tánaiste & Minister for Finance, Simon Harris TD at launch of Irish Presidency Priorities and Policy Programme

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Dublin Castle – the home of Ireland’s EU Presidency for the next six months.

With just 21 days to go until Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the eighth time, we are formally launching our priorities - or work programme - for the next six months.

This gives Ireland the privilege and significant opportunity to shape the EU’s strategic agenda for the rest of 2026.

The priorities we are setting out today for Ireland’s Presidency are focused on the themes of competitiveness, values and security.

These represent our assessment of the key areas on which the Union needs to focus its work and its efforts.

We take over the Presidency from our colleagues in Cyprus at a time when the global outlook is increasingly uncertain and volatile.

Yet Europe and Ireland enters this period from a position of considerable strength.

Ours is an economy underpinned by world-class companies, a highly skilled and educated workforce, and a deep tradition of research and innovation.

As Minister for Finance, I will chair meetings of EU Finance Ministers in the ECOFIN Council, where the Irish Presidency will take forward an incredibly ambitious agenda, prioritising the Union’s competitiveness, resilience and fiscal sustainability.

The challenge for Europe is to equip ourselves to ensure our economy remains a source of prosperity and opportunity for our people.

The real measure of Europe’s success is not the wealth we create, but the opportunities we create for our citizens.

It's clear what we need to do.

Today I am setting out our roadmap for delivery.

Our focus will be squarely on delivery.

This is why progressing Savings and Investments Union (SIU) and finalising a Council position on the Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP) will be my primary focus over the coming months.

Every European should be able to benefit from the growth and success of European companies, not just watch it happen from the sidelines.

It affects whether a local business can expand, whether a start-up can grow, and whether a factory stays in Europe.

When businesses can access funding, they invest, innovate and create jobs.

When investment goes elsewhere, opportunities follow.

This agenda must also be underpinned by a modern and effective EU budget.

The next Multiannual Financial Framework – the EU’s budget for the next seven years - will be central to ensuring that Europe can achieve its shared priorities – from competitiveness and innovation to the green and digital transitions, as well as our collective security.

With colleagues I will form a budgetary framework that can respond to these challenges, support private investment and enable reforms that strengthen Europe’s long-term growth potential.

The Irish Presidency will work to advance these discussions in a constructive and pragmatic way, recognising that a well-targeted EU budget is a key enabler of our broader economic objectives.

Also, achieving agreement on the 2027 Annual EU Budget will be a key priority.

At the same time, we must continue to strengthen Europe’s financial resilience.

The development of a digital euro represents an important step in that direction.

A digital euro would complement cash, safeguard access to central bank money in an increasingly digital economy and support innovation in payments across the EU.

It also has the potential to ensure that our payment systems remain secure, efficient and underpinned by European values.

The Irish Presidency will ensure that competitiveness and growth is embedded across the work of ECOFIN.

In this regard, priority will be given to advancing current and new competitiveness initiatives, including the simplification agenda.

This will include taking forward the work initiated by the Danish Presidency to examine the economic consequences of EU legislation.

It’s clear that our three priority themes of competitiveness, values and security do not stand apart from one another: they are interlocking themes and reinforce one another.

The provision of continued economic and financial support to Ukraine is a key priority of the Irish Presidency, including Ukraine’s longer-term reconstruction following Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion. It remains essential that we continue to take stock of the economic and financial consequences of the war.

By working with determination to make progress across many different aspects of the Council’s agenda, we can ensure that the EU delivers what our citizens, our businesses and our communities need it to deliver, and that our Union is equipped to face the challenges of the future.

The detailed Policy Programme we have in front of us is a tangible reminder of the extent of the work that we will need to deliver in a matter of weeks.

The planning is almost over; implementation and the support of our partners across the other 26 Member States, the Commission and Parliament is what we now need.

As a government we are determined that our Presidency will drive real progress and achieve substantial results, leaving a positive legacy for Europe and of course the people of Ireland.

Let’s get to work.

Thank you.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.