What Nina spoke about.

Mr President, 1.5 million people: that's how many people took part in Erasmus+ exchanges in 2024 alone. But Erasmus+ is much more than students studying abroad; it is the EU's main funding programme for grassroot sports. Sport matters. It supports 1.8 million jobs across Europe, with young people particularly benefiting. I see its impact on my own constituency. In County Mayo, Erasmus+ has helped

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, over the past few weeks, all we seem to hear about is cuts: cuts to emergency support for our farmers, the prospect of no dedicated EU health funding in the next long-term budget and humanitarian aid being slashed across the globe. What kind of Europe are we building if our answer to every challenge is to make cuts? At a time when families are struggling wi

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, just last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on the EU-UK relationship that sticking with the status quo is not good enough – and I couldn't agree more. For farmers, consumers and young people, the opportunities for deeper ties are enormous. On agri-food, the numbers speak for themselves: 35 % of Irish food and drink exports go to the UK – almost EUR 7 

Madam President, last month, this Parliament sent a strong message to Council and Commission: targeted reform of the common fisheries policy is needed now. Irish fishermen and fisherwomen have faced significant cuts, with our 2026 quotas down EUR 100 million on last year. Ahead of December's AGRIFISH Council, I have three key points. First, the Hague preferences must be applied. We need fairer quo

Madam President, the next seven-year EU budget is just around the corner. We are balancing major priorities: research, rural development, innovation, defence, education, young people. But underpinning all of these priorities is food security. Because without a secure and resilient food supply, we cannot have strong communities, a strong economy or a strong Europe. And that security starts with a p

Mr President, on 13 October 1994, MEPs John Hume, Ian Paisley and Jim Nicholson walked into the office of European Commission President Jacques Delors. It was the very same day a loyalist ceasefire was announced. Delors asked them one simple question: how can Europe help? The answer became the very first peace programme. More than 30 years later, Europe needs to ask the same question with fresh fo

Madam President, Commissioner, this September, we mark Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Today, more than 9 million people live with dementia in the EU, but by 2050, that figure will increase by 60 %. That's why I recently hosted Alzheimer's Europe and the FTD Brothers in the European Parliament, and their message to President Metsola and EU Commissioners was simple: the time for action is now. Lots is

Madam President, Commissioner, the common fisheries policy has failed to deliver, and while there is no silver bullet, CFP reform must address the following. One, levelling the playing field post-Brexit. Two, protecting the Hague preferences. It cannot continue to become an annual bargaining chip. Three, the EU budget: while we in Parliament have restored Commission cuts, we need to deliver as par

Madam President, Taoiseach, Ireland's EU Presidency will not be judged in this debating Chamber. It will not be judged in negotiating rooms in Brussels, Strasbourg or Dublin, nor will it happen in weeks or months after it comes to an end. But it will happen around kitchen tables. It will happen at farmyard gates and in school classrooms. In the decades ahead, for me, there are two fences we must c

Thank you, President. This principle must guide Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. Ireland has the opportunity to strengthen competitiveness and trade. We must make progress on the next EU budget and ensure adequate funding for the common agricultural policy to protect farm incomes, food security and rural communities. Online safety must also be prioritised and effective age verification

Mr President, High Representative, in a time of geopolitical instability, rising humanitarian crisis and growing pressure on aid budgets, defending multilateralism has never been more urgent. Seventy years ago, Ireland joined the UN, an institution at the heart of our foreign policy and our commitment to peace and international law. As we look to the 81st UN General Assembly, we must reaffirm the

Madam President, Commissioner, this plan will be judged by one test. Will it lower fertiliser costs and secure availability for farmers? The geopolitical crisis in the Middle East has put our gas and fertiliser dependence into the spotlight once again. And while it may not be the defining crisis in agriculture today or tomorrow, plans for 2027 could be put into major jeopardy if fertiliser prices

Mr President, 'heroic', 'brave', 'inspiring'. Those are just some of the words used to describe Jordan and Cian Adams – the 'FTD Brothers' – both carrying the rare FTD gene, which sadly took their mother from them at the age of 52 in 2016. But today they're refusing to let dementia have the final word. They are running 33 marathons in 33 days, raising awareness and funds for their foundation and t

Madam President, Commissioner, in Cavan, Naomi Clarke has built a national clothes brand from a rural base. In Offaly, Anne Marie Feighery has turned farm produce into an award-winning agri-food company. In Westmeath, Una Leonard has grown a local patisserie into a huge success story. On Arranmore island, Muireann Kavanagh is fighting for the future of her fishing community. In Galway, Chloe Winte

Madam President, as we heard yesterday, Europe is facing a EUR 27 billion energy surge. Family farms, quality affordable food, and rural communities are under real strain. The livestock sector, the focus of this debate, is bearing the brunt. It is one of agriculture's most exposed sectors, with much of its overheads tied to feed, fertiliser and other inputs. In Ireland's case, I welcome Minister H

Madam President, imagine a child too frightened to walk into their classroom. Too frightened to face someone abusing them online. Around 1 in 4 young people in Ireland experience this. And it goes beyond bullying. Last year, 1.2 million children across 11 countries reported being targeted by deepfake sexual abuse. These numbers are horrifying. And just this week, European police raised serious con

Mr President, Commissioner, whether it has been ensuring food security, overseeing peace projects or investing in regional development, EU financing has stretched far in Ireland. For the majority of Ireland's 53 years in the European Community, we have been a net receiver and while that contribution cannot be easily captured in a single figure, its impact is clear: support to our farmers, fishers

Madam President, McDonald's, Domino's, Haribo, Oreo, Pepsi, Pringles. Who doesn't like a treat every now and then? But for children in Ireland, they see unhealthy food and drinks marketing roughly every four minutes online. Every four minutes, whether it's paid advertising on TikTok, influencer collaborations on Instagram or mukbang videos on YouTube. These ads for junk food capture a child's atte

Madam President, in Ireland, there are an estimated 9000 defibrillators, but only half are publicly registered. And across Europe, the story is much the same. Patchy records, fragmented data, incomplete mapping. Whether you're on a holiday in Spain or driving down the Wild Atlantic Way or sightseeing in Paris, it should be easy for you to find your nearest defib. So my question today is simple: we

Thank you, colleague, I think you're 100 % right and I'm so glad that we have all of you here to talk to. I think it's so important. It's an issue that shouldn't have waited until nearly the last debate of the whole week, and I'm delighted to be here to actually raise our concerns, also with Commissioner here, who's going to be hopefully helping us to make it an EU‑wide issue as well.

Mr President, since 2020, more than EUR 8.6 million worth of nitrous oxide – or laughing gas, as it's more commonly known – has been seized entering Ireland. Walk through any park or down any side street, even along our main roads, and you will see the evidence discarded: silver bullets and whippets littering the ground. This is not harmless fun. Across the EU, Member States are reporting rising p

Madam President, Commissioner, obesity in Europe has been described as an epidemic. In 2022, the WHO reported that obesity had reached alarming levels in Ireland following COVID‑19, with 57 % of adults and 8 % of children under five overweight or obese. Across the EU, over half of adults and nearly one in three children are now affected. Obesity is a disease shaped by many factors. It is not only

Mr President, in Ireland, fuel prices have passed EUR 2 per litre. Five hundred litres of home heating oil now costs over EUR 800. Across the Midlands–North-West, families and businesses are feeling the pressure. The European Commission must take immediate action to protect consumers. Firstly, the Commission must be ready to activate its crisis protocols. This includes joint purchasing of gas to b

Madam President, today we are discussing strengthening the role of farmers in the food supply chain and unfair trading practices in Europe. This is the first ever directive to specifically improve the protection and status of farmers and primary producers. And it is to be welcomed. It is a particularly important step as we begin discussions on the common agricultural policy. But if we are trying t

Mr President, Commissioner, this week we mark Safer Internet Day to coincide with the new EU action plan against cyberbullying. But for many families across Ireland and the EU, the internet feels like a minefield: 1 in 6 of our teenagers has been cyberbullied; 1 in 8 admits to taking part in bullying. These numbers are staggering, but the game has changed. We are now seeing the rise of AI deepfake