What Billy spoke about.

The Fianna Fáil delegation was glad to give our support to the resolution on the state law relating to abortion in Texas, USA. The resolution rightfully denounces the abortion law in Texas (Senate Bill 8), which de facto amounts to a total ban on abortion, with no exception for cases of rape, incest or fetal health conditions incompatible with sustained life after birth. In 2018, the Irish people

Madam President, conclusions five and six outline the issues that were raised in the Council with regard to gold-plating and the regulatory challenges that are there. And there's one area that we really have to address, and that is the issue that is putting delays on infrastructural development, roads, wastewater, the energy systems, which are all compiling huge costs on housing itself, Commission

Madam President, our islands aren't just places that we visit in the summer to enjoy. They're living, breathing communities that have significant challenges because of their isolation. There is an island in West Cork called Cape Clear. 110 people live on that island all year round, many of them very elderly, and they have no full-time nursing cover. It is an hour-long trip on a ferry, so for evacu

Not funding the Nature Restoration Law, Minister, would be a fundamental breach of trust, and it would be a fundamental betrayal to the aims and principles of what the Nature Restoration Law is trying to do, which is repair nature across Europe. I am very concerned that there is no real recognition of the need to fund this particular programme. If you look at the MFF and the national and regional

Madam President, we had a similar debate yesterday on the Affordable Housing Act, Commissioner. The cost of living is a real issue. It affects us both from a social perspective, but also our competitiveness as a Union. Young people can't afford rents. They never see hope in terms of being able to purchase a home. On a daily basis, we now see, quite evidently across Europe, escalating food costs, e

Mr President, how we deal with the housing crisis facing European citizens will be the defining moment of our time. To date, we have been undermining intergenerational solidarity and social cohesion. And if we're not careful, we will fracture society deeply. We are obsessed with process over progress, Commissioner. We simply have stifled any capability in developing infrastructure across Europe, b

(Start of speech off mic) ... Council welcome this debate. Security and defence are a priority. Energy independence, enlargement and ensuring that we remain competitive or build our competitiveness back – these are all key important factors for the European Union. However, a lot of threats to the European Union come from within the Council, and that is an area that we have to address through the m

Mr President, in my lifetime, the life expectancy in Ireland has increased from 70 years of age to 83 years of age, and across Europe, life expectancy is increasing dramatically. Of course, with that comes the challenge of comorbidities and dealing with very complicated health systems to provide care for an ageing population. And of course, the double jeopardy on top of that is an ageing medical a

Mr President, colleagues, today we have an opportunity to adopt the Parliament's first comprehensive report on women's health. Earlier this morning, President von der Leyen reiterated Europe's commitment to equality, and she also referenced backsliding in terms of women's rights itself. What better way to do that than ensuring that all genders have equal access to healthcare, that they are treated

Madam President, I would like to thank President von der Leyen for outlining the State of the Union address and her ambition for our people. President von der Leyen, you say 'ambitious about the future and focused on results', 'changes are exceptional', 'great possibilities and great perils' – and they are great perils, Commissioner von der Leyen. If you look at this particular House, you can see

A Uachtaráin, sheep farmers have a responsibility to shear their sheep for animal welfare issues, and rightly so. But Commissioner, as it stands, farmers have to pay up to EUR 3.50 per sheep for shearing. In other words, it is a cost, and at the end of that shearing exercise, they have a product that's defined as being waste, as being a nuisance. I believe at this stage we really have to address t

Madam President, fairness and burden‑sharing should be at the heart of the common fisheries policy, if we were truly to live in a European Union where we try to treat all citizens and all sectors fairly. But, Commissioner, there has been an unfair burden placed on the Irish fishing communities: a 23 % decrease in direct gross value added and a 15 % drop in numbers employed over the last number of

Mr President, humanitarian aid has been weaponised and politicised, 90 % of Gaza destroyed, 60 % of Gaza occupied, continual encroachments into the West Bank, aggressive actions by settlers being facilitated by the Netanyahu government and the Israeli Defence Forces. Fundamental breaches of international law, refusal to accept decisions of the International Criminal Court. At the same time, we are

A Uachtaráin, I welcome the Council conclusions of 18 June and 19 June, and just a few observations, Commissioner. First and foremost, the commitment to Ukraine. We really appreciate the fact that the money is now being spent on two capacities, both in terms of support of the state and on defence as well. But it leads to a very fundamental question about the issue of how we fund the European Union

Mr. President, on behalf of myself and my team, I welcome the Taoiseach. As everyone knows, the Taoiseach is a personal friend. We have been friends for almost 40 years. I wish you all the best, Mr. President, as you begin your presidency. You and our Union face big challenges, but I am sure you have the experience and skills to overcome them. You're on your way, sir. Taoiseach, your presidency co

Mr President, this time last year, there was great uncertainty and volatility across Europe and great concern by workers and small and medium-sized businesses. And the Turnberry agreement, while not perfect, certainly brought about stability in terms of at least giving confidence to businesses and workers that an agreement could be struck whereby we would play by certain rules. President Trump is

Madam President, I welcome the agreement on the Victims' Rights Directive and it is a step forward in justice. But let us be very honest, we have a long way to go. While justice must always be seen to be done, it is adversarial. It can be very hostile to victims of crime, and very often the onus is on the victim beyond their capacity in presenting a case. And that makes it difficult, particularly

Madam President, Commissioner, farming is in crisis, as you well know and there is a significant challenge with regard to sustainability of farming. We speak regularly about intergenerational solidarity and the need to bring new young people into farming. And of course, at the heart of it is the fact that input costs have increased dramatically in recent years – the price of fuel and most importan

Mr President, the situation in Lebanon is truly dire: 1.2 million people displaced; Israel occupying southern Lebanon up to the Litani River; villages being razed to the ground – already a country that was in turmoil and under huge pressure because of Hezbollah undermining it and carrying out a proxy war on behalf of Iran, but also the flow of refugees into Lebanon over many, many years. We simply

Mr President, since President Trump's unilateral attack on the Iranian regime, it is clear that we can no longer let our citizens be held ransom by countries that can withhold fossil fuels from us. The choice is clear. Will we do what is necessary to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and finally break the link between conflicts in one part of the world affecting the day to day lives of European citi

Madam President, there is an estimated EUR 13 trillion sitting in deposits in the European Union, earning on average around 1.6 to 1.8 % per annum. In short, this money is sitting stagnant, while instead it could be invested into Europe's real economy and, in turn, delivering returns for citizens. Europe has made great strides in making EU capital markets a more attractive place for citizens to in

Mr President, the Istanbul Convention is quite clear on the context of prevention and combating violence against women and domestic violence. I think it beholds us all in this Parliament to ensure that we put consent as central to any changes in terms of legislation. If we are to talk about human rights, the basic human rights of dignity and bodily autonomy, then the European Union has to have con

Madam President, at a time when the EU budget is being squeezed, national budgets are stretched and the role of the EIB and its contribution is particularly important to maintain momentum to underpin our long‑term goals. When current spending is focused on short‑term crises, the EIB can continue to invest in capital intensive projects and leverage private capital. A lot of this annual report focus

Mr President, in a very volatile world, and particularly in a volatile relationship between the United States and the European Union, it is critically important that we play our part in trying to stabilise that relationship. While we do hear ideological debates inside this Chamber from the left and from the right, in the context of President Trump, I think we should be looking at it through the ey