Issue Date: 03/07/2026
The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, represented by members from 27 European Union countries and representatives of the European Commission and European social partners will be meeting in Mayo, Ireland on Sunday 5th July 2026 and Monday 6th July 2026.
The attendees will arrive and depart across Dublin Airport, Ireland West Airport Knock and Shannon Airport. Normal operations will continue at the airports at all times.
Formal and informal EU Presidency events will be concentrated at Foxford Woollen Mills, Foxford; St Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina and Mount Falcon Estate, Ballina over the two days.
In general, traffic restrictions for the visit will be kept to the minimum required and it is intended that any impact on the public will be localised and minimal.
The following traffic measures will be in place:
Foxford, Co Mayo, Sunday 5th July
o Green Road will be closed from the afternoon until late evening, with local diversions in place.
o Lower Main Street and Providence Road will be closed from the afternoon until late evening, with local access for residents only.
o There will be no parking in the environs of Foxford Woollen Mills on the 5th July.
Ballina, Co Mayo, Monday 6th July
o There will be minor traffic restrictions in Ballina on the morning of the Monday 6th July from around 7:45am to 8:45am.
o Slí Ectra will have rolling road closures in place throughout the morning of 6th July.
o McDermott Street is currently closed due to roadworks and Gardaí will be on duty to assist road users with any diversions.
o There will be no parking in the environs of St Mary’s Secondary School on the 6th July.
• In general, members of the public can expect Garda motorcycle rolling road closures for security escorts on the N26 in the vicinity of Ballina on Monday 6th July 2026
Members of the public are asked to comply with Gardaí on duty in the event of encountering any motorcycle rolling road closure.
General Information and Advice:
An Garda Síochána is working to ensure that the nature and scale of the policing and security operation for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union is proportionate to protect everyone’s safety.
Our objective is to continue to share as much information with the public where necessary as soon as we are in a position to do so. We ask members of the public to heed the advice and instructions of Gardaí, and we thank them for their co-operation.
An Garda Síochána continues to engage with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and public transport providers to minimise disruption to the public transport network.
Operational plans are subject to change for security and operational reasons.
Real-time updates will be provided, where appropriate, by the Garda Press Office via press release to media and An Garda Síochána's official social media accounts:
• X @gardatraffic and @gardainfo
• Facebook An Garda Síochána
• Instagram @gardainsta
• Website www.garda.ie
Members of the public travelling in the affected areas of Ballina and Foxford on Sunday 5th and Monday 6th July are asked to plan their journeys during this period allowing enough time for possible traffic disruptions and to expect some localised delays.
An Garda Síochána has and continues to liaise with business and local residents in the key locations and will continue to communicate directly with them during the visit.
Drone Restrictions
UAS Geographical Zones and/ or TRA (Temporary Restricted Airspace) flight restriction notifications will be in place at venues hosting EU Presidency events. This includes restrictions on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) i.e. drones.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) issues these restrictions, some of which can be issued at short notice for operational reasons. UAS (drone) pilots should check the IAA website for restrictions on flying drones in UAS Geographical Zones and TRAs immediately before operating a UAS.
UAS detection systems will be in place to identify the location of drones that are flying in restricted areas as well as the drone pilot. Breaches of TRAs and Geographical Zones are subject to investigation by An Garda Síochána and the IAA.
A list of TRA notices is published on the IAA website.
Details of UAS Geographical Zones are also published on an interactive map on the IAA website.
Note to Editor:
An Garda Síochána’s role in the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union relates to matters of policing, security and traffic management only. Further details can be found on the Garda website.
See a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
For further information on the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and associated events, visit Programme of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
