DFI EU Presidency Consultation Submission December 2025
Issued on December 17 2025
In our submission for Ireland's 2026 EU Presidency, we're calling on the Irish Government to demonstrate leadership on equality, inclusion, and human rights. The submission emphasises that with one in four adults in the EU living with a disability, Ireland must prioritize the advancement of disability rights and the realization of a "Social Europe".
Key Thematic Priorities
Advancing disability rights: Ireland should use the Presidency to raise the visibility of the EU’s largest minority group. This aligns with the domestic implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People and the EU's update to the Disability Rights Strategy in Q2 2026.
Reinforcing a Social Europe: We urge a focus on inclusive growth that combats poverty, noting that 28.7% of persons with disabilities in the EU are at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
Priority policy and legislative areas We identify several specific areas for action:
EU Equal Treatment Directive: Ireland should prioritise the adoption of this directive, which prohibits discrimination based on disability and has been blocked by Member States for 17 years.
Disability Rights Strategy: The Presidency should secure the adoption of new flagship initiatives under the EU Disability Rights Strategy 2021-2030.
Housing and poverty: Ireland must influence the EU Affordable Housing Plan to increase the stock of accessible housing and support the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Budgetary mainstreaming: Disability rights, including accessibility and universal design, should be embedded as core funding conditions within the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034).
Operational recommendations
A fully accessible presidency: To create a sense of ownership among citizens, the Presidency must be fully accessible. This includes providing information in Irish Sign Language (ISL), plain English, and easy-to-read formats, as well as ensuring web accessibility and live captioning for events.
Civil society funding: The submission highlights the need for adequate funding to allow civil society organisations to effectively engage with and support the Presidency.