Tánaiste Simon Harris has said significant preparations are under way for Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year.
This will be the eighth time Ireland has hosted the Presidency of the European Council and the first occasion to do so since 2013.
During the presidency term there will be 23 informal ministerial meetings hosted in Ireland and a quarter of them will be held outside Dublin.
There will also be a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) and an informal meeting of the European Council, both of which will take place in Dublin.
The EPC summit will be the largest meeting Ireland has ever hosted involving leaders of 47 states as well as several heads of EU institutions and international organisations.
The Tánaiste has also told colleagues that resourcing and delivering a successful presidency in the second half of 2026 is essential for Ireland's position, influence and reputation in the EU.
Work is also under way across the Government to define Ireland's policy priorities for the presidency and will intensify in the autumn.
In addition to these ministerial meetings, there will also be a range of conferences and other large-scale events which may be held in locations outside Dublin to help ensure an appropriate regional distribution of presidency events.
The Tánaiste said it is essential to have strong relationships established with key figures in the parliament in advance of the presidency and to be on first-name terms with their counterparts in other EU countries.
There are also plans for a programme of community, youth and schools engagement around the presidency, which will have a particular focus on children and young people, and will be designed in a way which takes the views of young people on board.
