In her first major speech as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee TD visited Europe House on 22 January 2026 to give a keynote address and answer questions from a sold-out crowd of journalists, students and over 40 ambassadors. She was introduced by Peter Power, the head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland. The minister’s speech, entitled, ‘Ireland’s Enduring Place in Europe: Our 2026 EU Presidency’ focused on the importance of the EU to Ireland, the key policies that will shape Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the current challenges facing Member States.
After opening her speech as Gaeilge, Minister McEntee wasted no time in addressing one of the key concerns at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, the US threat to Greenland. She described the recent commentary on Greenland as deeply troubling, and outlined Ireland’s absolute support for the people of Greenland and Denmark.
“The future of Greenland is a matter to be determined by Denmark and by the Greenlandic people.”
She welcomed President Trump’s recent announcement that proposed tariffs on EU countries would not be going ahead on 1 February.
The Minister moved on to emphasise the importance of the European Union today.
“We are living in a new moment in history. A moment where events move at extraordinary speed, where assumptions we once took for granted are being challenged. And where choices we make as a country, as a Union – matter more than ever."
The Minister went on to list certain advantages that citizens of Ireland and other Member States have been able to enjoy thanks to the EU, which she described as “the greatest peace project ever conceived”.
She mentioned many positives including the economic advantages of being part of the eurozone, free trade for Irish businesses across Europe, the ability to choose to live across all Member States, and the ability to shop online without customs duties. She emphasised the impact of the EU during the peace process achieved on the island of Ireland.
Minister McEntee highlighted the very high level of support for the European Union, but acknowledged that there growing criticism in the country.
“I am genuinely concerned by a rising level of Euroscepticism in this country. We can’t allow these whispers, and in some quarters, these loud shouts, to not be challenged. It doesn’t mean that criticism of Europe is unjustified either. It’s far from perfect. There are issues on which we disagree”.
The Minister went on to talk about the policies that will shape Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the EU, citing three in particular: values, security and competitiveness.
On security, the Minister stated that the landscape in Europe has been heavily impacted by Russia's war of aggression. She underlined Ireland's support and solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Addressing both the Ambassador of Ukraine and the Ambassador of Moldova, who were both in the room, she reiterated Ireland’s support for their path towards EU membership, saying that enlargement is one of the Union’s great tools.
“We will keep a strong focus on achieving peace in the Middle East”.
On 28 January, Dublin will host a meeting of the Global Alliance on Implementation of the two State solution for the conflict in Gaza, where Ireland will share insights from Northern Ireland's peace process to support lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.
Recently, the minister travelled to the Rafah Crossing witnessed aid not being let in. She called for a significant scale up of humanitarian support so that vital aid and services reach people in Gaza, stating that Ireland will continue to work towards this during it's Presidency. The minister also briefly touched on the conflicts in Lebanon, Iran and Sudan, repeatedly mentioning Ireland’s support towards peace.
Minister McEntee spoke on defence as a whole, saying that Ireland supports the EU White Paper on defence, and is absolutely determined to step up security, while maintaining a policy of neutrality. The Minister cited the recent Irish budget of €1.5 billion, which will be part of the most significant investment in defence in the state’s history.
Moving on to competitiveness, Minister McEntee said:
Competitiveness within the EU “delivers good jobs, good salaries and a good quality of life. At the heart of this is the single market. It has utterly transformed our economies and people’s lives”.
She described the Single Market as a work in progress, with there still being challenges for businesses in the EU. Companies still encounter barriers while trading within the Single Market, such as energy being too expensive due to an overdependence on the import of fossil fuels.
“We are also being outpaced in the race for technologies of the future”. Three things must be done: “Supporting the Single Market. Deepening the Single Market. Advancing the Single Market”.
In the concluding section of her address, Minister McEntee focused on Ireland’s preparations for the Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will commence in July for a six month period. With five months to go, she believes the Government is in a good place, but that "there’s lots of work to be done”. Ireland has been engaging with other Member States and EU Institutions, and the Government has received over 480 responses from people and organisations in Ireland and abroad. Their opinions will be reviewed before making the policy programme for the country’s Presidency.
On the upcoming Presidency, she added:
“We will welcome Heads of State and Government [...] and host more than 270 Presidency events. It is so important that we use this as an opportunity to showcase who we are, not just what we stand for”.
Ending her speech by looking ahead, Minister McEntee said that:
“The Presidency is not just about meetings and engagements and negotiations. It is, for me, about reconnecting people with Europe at a time of such turmoil. United is the only way that we can respond to the challenges and that we can take hold of the opportunities”.
The Minister took questions from students, journalists and ambassadors following her speech at Europe House, before heading downstairs to engage with students in the new facility’s learning environment.
Europe House in Dublin features a 360 degree cinema, information on all MEPs, and a number of interactive stations that educate visitors on the European Union.
Author:
Adam Schmitz
About Adam:
Adam Schmitz is the Editor-in-Chief of the University Observer. Having recently graduated from Economics, he is working full time leading UCD’s largest newspaper. Last year, he was nominated for the Rising Star Award and Best Sport Section across the UK and Ireland at Student Publication Association Awards, as well as Best Travel Article at the National Student Media Awards.
Details
- Publication date
- 22 January 2026
- Author
- Representation in Ireland