The Irish government will today express serious concerns about potential European counter-tariffs on American goods, fearing significant damage to Ireland’s key export industries including aviation, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and agri-food sectors.
Cabinet will hear that Ireland is actively lobbying the European Union to avoid implementing retaliatory measures against the United States, which could trigger an escalating trade war with devastating consequences for Irish-American commercial relationships.
The European Commission announced last month that it would impose tariffs on US-made aircraft, alcohol, pharmaceutical products, and agri-food items if trade negotiations fail to produce an agreement by July. The deadline for implementing these countermeasures is set for July 14, with both sides currently engaged in intensive negotiations.
Tánaiste and Trade Minister Simon Harris will update cabinet colleagues on Ireland’s diplomatic efforts to prevent the tariff escalation. In a letter to European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Harris will argue that any EU countermeasures should not harm European businesses and urge the Commission to avoid escalating economic tensions “at all costs.”
The Fine Gael leader will also stress that counter-tariffs should not have a “disproportionate” impact on individual member states, clearly referencing Ireland’s particular vulnerability given its extensive economic ties with the United States.
Ireland’s concerns are heightened by President Donald Trump’s threat to implement 50 percent tariffs on European member states if no deal is reached, potentially creating a destructive cycle of retaliatory measures that could severely impact Ireland’s export-dependent economy.
The government fears that Ireland’s lucrative sectors could become collateral damage in a broader EU-US trade dispute, given the country’s significant presence in industries directly targeted by the proposed measures.
Cabinet will hear that trade negotiations between the two blocs are “advancing” as the July deadline approaches, though the outcome remains uncertain.
Special Education Expansion
In separate education matters, Education Minister Helen McEntee will inform cabinet that 399 special classes have been sanctioned for the upcoming school year, with admissions having commenced in April.
McEntee will report that her department and the National Council of Special Education have been directed to ensure children are accepted into new classes much earlier for the 2026/27 school year, addressing longstanding concerns about late placement decisions.
Junior Minister for Special Education Michael Moynihan has provided assurances that special school spaces will be made available to all students requiring them, attempting to address a chronic shortage that has left hundreds of children with additional needs without guaranteed school places in recent years.
The system has struggled to meet demand, leaving many parents uncertain about their children’s educational arrangements until very late in the process. Under new procedures, parents will be invited to notify the National Council of Special Education in October if their children require special school places for September 2026, with allocations to be completed by year’s end.
This earlier timeline represents a significant improvement in planning and should provide families with much greater certainty about their children’s educational placements, addressing a source of considerable stress for parents of children with special educational needs.