Written answer
EU Meetings
22. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report on the meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 24 April 2026. [37816/26]
Comment on this
The Secretary General’s visit to Dublin on 24 April came ahead of the Council of Europe’s annual meeting of the Committee of Ministers, as well as Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency.
This visit underlines the continued deep engagement Ireland has with the Council of Europe, and reflects our strong commitment to the organisation and its essential role in promoting human rights, rule of law and democracy across Europe.
During his visit to Dublin, Secretary General Berset met with the President; the Minister of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; and the Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence. Additionally, my Department facilitated a meeting between the Council of Europe Secretary General and civil society organisations from across the island of Ireland.
During his engagements in Dublin, the Secretary General had extensive discussions on a wide range of topics.
Concerning those discussions with the Minister of Sate for European Affairs and Defence, the Secretary General was provided with an overview of Ireland’s priorities for our EU Presidency, including areas of priority in the work of the Council of Europe. Discussions also encompassed the Council of Europe’s important work to secure accountability for Ukraine, including the ongoing work on the establishment of a Claims Commission and a Special Tribunal to Prosecute the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine. The Political Declaration on Migration and the ECHR, which was adopted in Chisinau last week, was also addressed. The significance of the ECHR as a core safeguard of the Good Friday Agreement, and the Government’s unwavering determination to maintain that protection, was underlined on several occasions.
Secretary General Berset was assured on several occasions of Ireland’s full support for the Council of Europe and our readiness to work on strengthening the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the EU during our upcoming EU Presidency.