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Adding new member states such as Ukraine to the European Union is a “priority” for Ireland during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee has said, even as Government research projects that future EU enlargement could bring a “considerable portion” of new migrants to Ireland.
Speaking during Dáil questions on Ireland’s six-month EU Presidency, the Fine Gael Minister said supporting the accession of Ukraine and Moldova would be a central objective over the coming months, describing enlargement as one of Ireland’s priorities.
McEntee said Ukraine’s path towards EU membership formed part of Ireland’s wider support for the country following Russia’s invasion.
“I acknowledge the colleagues who attended the opening ceremony yesterday,” she said.
“I hope President Zelenskyy’s presence has shown not just our own citizens but the rest of Europe and the world that we fully support Ukraine and intend, through our Presidency, to do everything we can to continue that support and to put pressure on Russia. That includes supporting Ukraine on its accession path.
“I believe, as I think we all believe, that it is the only trajectory for Ukraine. The country is already defending every single one of us in its defence of itself. In so many ways, Ukraine is already part of our European community. It is about making sure we do everything we can to support the process for enlargement.”
The Minister said Ireland wanted to help candidate countries advance through the accession process during its Presidency.
“Enlargement is a priority for us during our Presidency,” McEntee said.
“We all know the benefits Ireland has experienced from membership. It is important that we support through the accession process other countries that want to join the European community and the EU.
“Moldova and Ukraine are two of the current candidate countries. They both applied for membership in 2022 and opened accession negotiations in 2024. Last year’s European Commission annual enlargement report indicated that Moldova made the most one-year progress of all candidates during the reporting period. The same report described Ukraine’s progress as remarkable.”
The Minister added that she hoped Ukraine and Moldova would continue to advance together.
“I would, of course, like to see both countries moving together,” McEntee said.
“They started this process together and they have worked together on getting to where they are now. We want to work closely with both of them in order to open the remaining clusters.
“As we all know, once the clusters are opened that is the start of another process and obviously that takes time as well.”
The issue was raised by Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who welcomed Ireland’s commitment to advancing the membership applications of both countries while expressing concern over reports that political opposition within the EU could delay further progress.
McEntee later said accession negotiations frequently involved complex political and territorial issues, adding that Ireland would continue working with all member states to build consensus while supporting reforms in Ukraine and Moldova.
The Government’s support for further EU enlargement comes as the Department of Finance recently assessed the potential impact that future accessions could have on migration to Ireland.
In its Future Forty: A Fiscal and Economic Outlook to 2065 report, published in October 2025, the Department examined a range of long-term demographic and economic scenarios, including the potential effects of additional countries joining the European Union.
The report notes that Ireland currently has “less than 1 per cent of migrants” from CCs (candidate countries) in the EU, but states that previous enlargement rounds suggest Ireland could attract a larger share of future migration.
“Despite a relatively low starting point, history suggests a considerable portion of new migrants may migrate to Ireland due to high levels of employment, nominal earnings, and use of the English language,” the report states.
The Department said its modelling outlines “a range of between 2-5 per cent of new EU migrants from each CC migrating to Ireland.”
The report also notes that Ireland would retain the option of introducing temporary migration controls following any future enlargement.
“It should be noted, however, that as part of the relevant accession treaties, Ireland will have the ability to implement transitional arrangements, including migration restrictions, should this be deemed appropriate.”
According to the Department, the report examines how demographic, technological, social and environmental trends could affect Ireland’s economy and public finances over the coming four decades, presenting a range of possible scenarios rather than forecasting a single outcome.
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