The University of Limerick is set to host a European Union Ministerial meeting on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
The event, which is an informal meeting of EU Ministers with responsibility for telecommunications, will take place in the UL Arena.
In an email sent to all students, Professor Ann Ledwith, Interim Provost and Deputy President of UL, outlined that “Departments/Schools have been encouraged by Deans to facilitate online teaching where possible.” Students will have no access to the UL Arena and its environs. The P8 East Gate Public Car Park and the P7 Arena Public Car Park will also be closed.
The meeting will be chaired by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, TD. Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, will attend the meeting.
The agenda includes discussions around the Digital Networks Act (DNA), subsea cable connectivity, resilience, and digital connectivity and consumer protection.
What is the Digital Networks Act?
The Digital Networks Act was proposed by the European Commission in January 2026 and is currently under review by the European Council. The DNA “is an instrument intended to harmonise and simplify the currently fragmented regulatory framework governing electronic communications across the EU,” explains Dr Kévin Saudé, Teaching Assistant at the UL Department of Politics and Public Administration. “The proposal is designed to accelerate the transition to optic fibre networks and improve the quality and resilience of connectivity across the EU, including in rural and remote areas,“ outlined Dr Saudé.
According to the European Commission website, another key measure of the Digital Networks Act is to ‘tackle the rising risk of natural disasters and foreign interference in networks and radio signals.’
This is Ireland’s eighth time hosting the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
“One long-standing criticism of EU governance has been the perceived distance, geographic, institutional and substantive, between citizens and EU decision-making. Bringing ministers and European affairs into a more regional setting may not resolve this issue, but it does no harm”, remarked Dr Saudé.
When the meeting was announced, Professor Shane Kilcommins, President of UL, said, “University of Limerick stands ready to support the success of Ireland’s presidency and extends a warm and sincere welcome to all who join us in Limerick during this important period for Europe and our country”.
This informal meeting is part of a series of meetings taking place as Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union until December 2026.