From:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, will today (15 June) travel to Luxembourg for the final meeting of EU Foreign Ministers before Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting comes at a significant moment for Ireland, with the Government preparing to lead the EU agenda over the next six months. Discussions will focus on the Middle East, continued support for Ukraine, EU-China relations and EU enlargement. Minister McEntee will press EU partners and the European Commission for concrete…

From:Department of the Taoiseach Príomh-Aire Carney, Diana, a dhaoine uaisle. Prime Minister, it is my great honour and pleasure, on behalf of the people of Ireland, to welcome you both to Ireland this evening. And, if I may say so, to welcome you home. Fáilte abhaile. Yours is a story that began around one hundred years ago, when your grandparents left Aghagower, in County Mayo, and crossed the Atlantic in search of opportunity and a better life. Like so many Irish families of their generation, they left people they loved, places they cherished, and a country that would always remain par…

From:Department of the Taoiseach Taoiseach Micheál Martin today welcomed the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Mark Carney, to Dublin. The leaders reaffirmed the deep and enduring relationship between Canada and Ireland, rooted in shared history, democratic values, close people-to-people and business ties, and a common commitment to international law, human rights, democracy, rule of law, transatlantic relations and multilateral cooperation. The leaders underscored the growing partnership between Canada and the European Union and the opportunity to expand it even further during I…

From:Department of the Taoiseach Taoiseach Micheál Martin will today welcome Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Madame Diana Fox Carney to Ireland, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries. The visit carries particular personal resonance, as Prime Minister Carney is the grandson of Irish emigrants, and tomorrow will travel to County Mayo — where his grandparents were born — more than 100 years after they left for Canada. Ireland and Canada enjoy deep historical ties, with 4.4 million Canadians — over 12% of the population — claiming Iris…

From:Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, visited Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) to officially launch a new apprenticeship in Robotics and Automation as well as a new Tertiary Degree in Agricultural Science.The Robotics and Automation Apprenticeship has been developed in response to growing industry demand for skilled technicians in industrial robotics and automation. Delivered through the apprenticeship model of earn while you learn, the…

From:Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, met the European Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, as part of her visit to Ireland this week. The meeting covered a broad range of topics including priorities for the upcoming Irish Presidency of the EU. Speaking after the meeting, Minister Heydon stated: "I was delighted to welcome Commissioner Roswall back to Ireland once again for a very constructive engagement on several key topics. This included discu…

From:Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD and Minister of State with special responsibility for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley TD have announced an extension to the closing date for the Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme to 5pm Wednesday, 17 June. "We have seen a strong response to the Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme among vessel owners with a large number of applications received over the past two days. Following consultation with the fishing representative groups on T…

Thelatest hospital waiting list figuresfor May 2026 were published today by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). The multi-annual Action Plan approach initiated in September 2021 is focused on improving waiting times for patients, and theWaiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) 2026, published by Minister Carroll MacNeill on 30 January 2026 embodies the Government’s commitment to reducing waiting times for patients, thereby improving access to hospital care. The 2026 Plan acts as a key enabler for each of the Health Service Executive (HSE) Regions to improve planned care delivery. Under the r…

From:Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has today published the Independent External Board Effectiveness Review of the Board of Bord Bia. The review was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and carried out by Governance Ireland. The review found that Bord Bia has an effective, capable and committed Board, with strong governance structures and processes, and led by a Chair who is widely viewed as providing clear leadership and maintaining appropriate focus on governance and strategy. T…

From:Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, was today (Friday, 12 June 2026) in Castlebar to officially open the Lough Lannagh Dog Park. The purpose-built facility, which was awarded €100,000 in funding under the Community Recognition Fund (CRF) 2024, will provide a safe, enclosed space for dogs to exercise and socialise, while offering a welcoming environment for pet owners and families. CRF was introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supp…

From:Department of Education and Youth Minister of Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton and Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Micheal Moynihan have today announced the launch of a new Transitions Support Service in special schools nationwide. Backed by €1.35 million in Budget 2026, the new service will support young people with disabilities as they prepare to move from school into further education, training, employment and other post-school opportunities. The service will be rolled out to all special schools from September 2026 following the successful completion of …

From:Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has officially opened the newly refurbished Ballaghaderreen Library and launched Roscommon’s very first'My Open Library'service on a visit to the county. Housed in the historic 18th-century Dillon House on Market Square, the library has undergone an extensive and sensitive refurbishment. The works were supported by the Small-Scale Capital Works Scheme and Libraries Capital Programme funding through the Department of Rural and Community Develop…

From:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade The Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, today (12 June) announced a grant of €500,000 to support the development of the Lancashire GAA Centre of Excellence at Broughton Park in Manchester. The GAA, Manchester City Council and Broughton Park Rugby Club have partnered to redevelop a state of the art facility for Lancashire GAA that will provide a focal point for Gaelic Games in Northern Britain and support the year-on-year growth in playing numbers in schools, clubs and universities across the region. Sp…

From:Department of Education and Youth A report by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Youth has found that published admission policies for special classes continue to contain conditional causes that are contrary to Department and National Council for Special Education (NCSE) guidance. The finding is contained in the Inspectorate’sAnnual Review of Admission Policies: Special Classes for Autistic Students 2026published today. The review follows a similar examination in 2025, which found that almost all of the 30 admission policies reviewed contained conditional clauses that c…

From:Department of Children, Disability and Equality Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, today announced €422,000 in development grants for Childminders. The 2026 Childminding Development Grant supports childminders to purchase toys, childcare equipment, safety equipment, inclusion equipment and materials related to the arts and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). The 2026 Childminding Development Grant awards will be given to 424 childminders, which is the highest number of recipients and the largest amount of funding ever awarded under the scheme. Thi…

From:Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan welcomes the commencement of the International Protection Act 2026 today (12 June). The legislation represents the most significant reform of Irish asylum laws in the history of the State and gives effect to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. The objective of the Act is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure that is consistent with how asylum laws operate across the EU. Under the Act, upon arrival to the State, applicants will be required to go t…

From:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, will today (12 June) join other Ministers and civil society leaders at the Paris Call for the Two-State Solution. This year’s Paris Call, chaired by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, has been convened ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit in Evian to deliver an updated call to action. The event marks the one-year anniversary of the Paris Call, hosted by the Paris Peace Forum, which brought together civil society leaders from Israel and Palestine in advance of the UN High-level …

From:Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Minister for Migration Colm Brophy has announced, with effect from Monday 15 June 2026, nationals of Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia will be required to obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland. This also applies to the holders of diplomatic and service passports. A transit visa will also be required, if intending to transit through Ireland en route to another destination. Commenting on this change, Minister Brophy said: The new visa requirement for nationals of Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia is part of an…

Minister for Defence Helen McEntee TD today (11 June) held a call with Canada's Minister of National Defence, David J. McGuinty. The Ministers discussed the evolving security environment, including maritime security, cyber threats, critical infrastructure protection and the importance of international cooperation in addressing shared challenges. Minister McEntee highlighted Ireland’s ongoing investment in defence and the Government’s commitment to strengthening national security capabilities. Speaking following the call, Minister McEntee said: "Ireland and Canada share a strong commitment …

From:Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD, has today (Wednesday June 10th) urged all water users, including anglers, boaters, canoeists and other river users to follow theClean, Check, Drybiosecurity protocol to protect native wildlife and habitats. This follows recent reports from the Marine Institute confirming the presence of a plague caused by a water mould (fungal like organism), affecting the native white-clawed crayfish in the River Camac at Corkagh Park, Clondalkin. White clawed crayfish are a g…