Speeches

Mr President, colleagues, Commissioner, a report by the United Nations outlined that Russian forces have committed an array of war crimes, including torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence against Ukrainian civilians. And in the face of this extremism, this barbarism, millions of Ukrainian women and girls are forced to face the aftermath of this violence and make impossible decisions. For refugees who have experienced this violence, a lack of health care, a removal of inclusive reproductive care, forces them to return to Ukraine and return to their war-torn country to access essential reproductive health care, including maternal health and abortion care – all of this because they cannot get access legally in all European countries. These women are victims and survivors of violence, dealing with compounding trauma, health scares and concerns, mental health damages and supports – the slew of endless mental and physical health conditions, all without the basic services and support they deserve from us in the EU. The provision of sexual reproductive health care saves women’s and girls’ lives, and we cannot leave anyone behind. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question)

Madam President, today, human rights in Europe are in great danger as we witness the spread of anti-LGBTIQ propaganda by populist parties and governments, both online and offline. Not only does anti-LGBTIQ propaganda threaten the fundamental human rights of European citizens, it breaches EU law and undermines core EU values of freedom and equality. And let me share some harrowing reports. In Belgium in August, a study outlined one in four LGBTI+ people have been subject to threats or physical assault in Slovakia. Last October, two young men were murdered by a gunman outside one of Bratislava’s queer bars. We debated it right here in this house. In Finland this past August, in two different towns, where pride parades were being celebrated, homemade bombs were detonated. In my own country of Ireland, last year, two men were brutally murdered in separate homophobic attacks in the town of Sligo. And these are just what made the headlines. Growing abuse, attacks on the streets, discrimination online, local and national governments reneging, rolling back financial support for organisations dedicated to our rainbow communities – hell, even here in this House, politicians use in rhetoric that gay people are paedophiles and groomers. We are witnessing this anti-LGBTI+ rhetoric and it’s destroying the freedom and equality of our citizens. We are witnessing it, but our rainbow community are feeling it and are living it. We’ve a responsibility to stand together as Member States united and determined to protect European citizens from discrimination, irrespective of their sexuality or gender identity. And I call on all Members of this Parliament, of the Commission and the Council to protect fundamental human rights, to support the community and to denounce the spread of any anti-LGBTI propaganda once and for all.

Madam President, just as our debate started, not so long ago, a protest led by the Union of Students in Ireland marched with hundreds of students to Leinster House, our government building, in protest of adequate and affordable housing. They share their lived experiences of couch-surfing, exorbitant rent prices, lack of dedicated university student accommodation, living in their cars, travelling over eight hours a day to attend their course. This crisis does not just face Irish students, but all our students across the EU. Housing is now the highest item of expenditure for European citizens, affecting their well-being, mental health and quality of life. Young people and families need certainty and housing security. I acknowledge that the Commission has approved under EU state aid rules an EUR 450 million Irish scheme to support the construction of apartments to be sold to buyers intending to reside in the properties. But of course we need more, and our students need more. EU policies, funding programmes and financial instruments can, and need to, make a real impact, particularly for our young people.

Madam President, our political integrity cannot exist without transparency. Without transparency, integrity and accountability, our ability to lead is questionable. The laws that we can pass can be picked apart, and the laws to protect the human rights of citizens are questioned, and rightly so. We can never be complacent; as policy makers with the trust of our citizens, we are accountable to those we represent. Which is why I, along with many others, were incredibly disappointed after scandals brought our democratic institution into disarray. We must rebuild the trust of our citizens. I welcome the Special Committee’s work on behalf of this House to pinpoint any and all issues. As MEPs, we need to ensure our transparency records are updated and public. As MEPs, we need to ensure our financial records are in compliance with the requirements set by this House. As MEPs, we need to ensure we are not a driver of misinformation or disinformation, especially online. We need to ensure the culture in this House reflects what we broadcast outside of this House. I will continue to demand and defend that transparency, integrity and accountability are at the centre of our European Union for our citizens, most importantly.

–Mr President, ‘It’s not a criminal offence.’ This is what police said to Jackie Fox after her daughter Nicole had suffered extreme torment which resulted in her ending her life. Jackie’s dedication to ensuring that Coco’s law was delivered in Ireland has ensured that what is a crime offline is made a crime online. But as we speak, thousands of young Europeans are living with cyberbullying, being threatened with violence, being told to end their lives. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people under the age of 19 in our EU. What does that say about our policies if our young Europeans have nowhere to turn to for protection? We cannot allow them and their families to go through this trauma and heartbreak. Online bullying will not stop without legal consequences. EU legislation on cyberviolence and cyberbullying cannot wait. And I ask you all to please ensure Coco’s law is put in place throughout our EU in the name ‘Coco’s Law’ for Jackie and the spirit of her daughter, Nicole.

Mr President, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, without distinction of any kind, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Currently, as mentioned, there are 64 countries that have laws that criminalise homosexuality. Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, and last month we saw the parliament in Uganda vote to strengthen anti—LGBTQI laws. Members of the LGBTQI community in Uganda now face up to life imprisonment. This bill is an assault. It’s an assault on freedom and human dignity, and seeks to further institutionalise discrimination, hatred and prejudice. This bill could also stigmatise HIV prevention efforts and criminalise people with HIV regardless – even if they’re heterosexual or, of course, homosexual. As an Irish MEP, I am reminded quite sadly that homosexuality was only decriminalised 30 years ago. It was an Irish senator’s – Senator David Norris – landmark case at the European Court of Human Rights, where it was ruled that Ireland’s criminalisation violated the right to privacy in personal affairs. We as a European Union must always stand for the protection of fundamental rights and the rights of LGBTQI people, both within the EU and across the world. Enough is enough. I’m tired of saying this to an empty plenary, but I do hope our LGBTI community in Uganda and across those 64 countries hear us united on this.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, the EU Global Health Strategy aims to ensure our health policies protect our citizens in the best possible way, and I welcome the Health in All Policies. A coordinated approach between EU Member States serves our citizens best when it comes to health and social policy. However, it is fundamentally lacking, I believe, when it comes to the protection of our citizens mental health. Our health services and facilities are not fit for purpose when it comes to addressing both preventative and reactive mental healthcare. In France, the incidence of depression has doubled in the years since the beginning of the pandemic, and the rates of attempted suicide are among the highest in Europe. Mental health care in Poland is described as being in a permanent state of crisis. Rates of death by suicide remain much higher in Polish men compared to the EU average. In my own country of Ireland, 1 in 10 adults have attempted to die by suicide. Reports show in EU right now, the second-leading cause of death for our young people is death by suicide. Across the EU, our spending on mental health remains low, and charities and civil society organisations have plugged the gap for far too long. If we are truly to protect people’s physical and mental health in the EU, strategies on health need to include such and finally end the underinvestment in mental health services and facilities.

Madam President, Commissioner Gabriel, good afternoon to you and your team and colleagues here. The objective of our 2022 European Year of Youth was to shine a light on the importance of Europe’s youth in building a better future, a brighter future, and to very much put them at the centre of decision-making. Yearly youth conferences and events should take place across all four corners of our Union, really fostering local debates and encouraging young people to give their valued input into developing policy here that is debated and passed. And in September I was delighted to welcome four aspiring parliamentarians from Midlands—North—West constituency in Ireland to the Parliament as part of the EPP’s Youth Week. And I saw first-hand their commitment: our young people having to really put Europeans’ future at the core on the table, and hear their invaluable perspectives that they offer. I would like to ask the Commissioner, the youth unemployment rate stands at 13% in the EU. That’s over double the overall EU unemployment rate, and again I would like to ask how they will make vocational education and training programmes more visible, accessible and attractive to really showcase the wealth of opportunities that can be offered at national and at EU level.

Mr President, good morning, colleagues, Commissioner, what a day. Today, the gender pay gap in the EU stands at just under 13 % – 12.7 % – but this directive is going to change that. This pay gap remains unexplained for many and cannot be linked to the individual worker, education or working time. And we need this directive, as greater levels of pay transparency will uncover unjustified gender-based differences and empower the victims – many victims – of pay discrimination to seek redress. Our workers need the tools to compare salaries and ensure that they are paid equally for the work that they do, and this directive is that tool. With Ireland celebrating its 50th anniversary as a member of the EU, we can reflect on the leading role the EU has played in striving for gender equality. We must not forget that it was the EU law when we signed in 1973 which forced Ireland to abolish the Marriage Bar – an unjust piece of legislation which pushed thousands of Irish women out of the workforce based solely on their marriage status. Today, that struggle for gender equality reaches another milestone. It’s time we finally deliver on the promises of equal pay – a founding principle of the European Union since the 1957 Treaty of Rome. We, as a European Parliament, must legislate for income equality and eradicate the gender pay gap, once and for all. Ladies watching and sitting in the chamber, particularly those up here in the gallery: this today does not have to be an exception; it has to be the norm. In about a year’s time, we will go to the polls at European level, and many countries, Irish country myself, and many European countries will ask people to put their names forward for local elections. This is the time to see the 50 % in this chamber and across the European Union. Let this not be the exception. Let this be the norm.

Mr President, Article 14 of our European Convention on Human Rights specifically outlines our right to not face discrimination, and yet, many members of our society face discrimination every single day. In Ireland, people from minority backgrounds like our travelling community, our LGBTI+ community are much more likely to face and experience discrimination in their everyday lives. While we can continue to implement laws gradually, creating separate rules for different grounds of discrimination creates significant barriers for people. A single directive would not only be easier to implement, but it would also ensure that our citizens can clearly understand their rights. If we cannot provide our citizens with a comprehensive framework which protects our citizens against discrimination, how can we ever make progress? Commissioner, colleagues, I put to you: equality and discrimination are two sides of the same coin. Often in this chamber, late at night, we discuss the importance of equality, of fundamental rights, of our European values, and we cannot allow our Member States to continuously put a halt on progress. We’ve three presidencies left under this mandate, three chances for EU leaders to push to unblock this directive. There has been discussion amongst Member States, as already shared, about separating parts of this directive, as they believe some parts will be easier to introduce than others. I call this utter nonsense. All 500 million citizens deserve equality today. All European citizens deserve the same standing and respect within our EU. We need to move. We need to unblock this directive. It is our citizens who are at risk if we don’t get this right. May I use the last ten seconds to acknowledge Commissioner Dalli and her team for continuously calling for this directive to be unblocked, one of the rare few commissioners to do so.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, this year I welcome the UN’s focus on utilising digital education to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. Eighty-five per cent of our jobs today won’t exist in seven years due to digital growth. Over half of our Member States include digital skills in their primary education curriculum, and it’s welcomed. But while we push to excel our digital footprints, we must ensure the safety of women and girls online. Research shows 1 in 10 women over the age of 15 in our European Union have experienced online violence. Therefore, online safety is urgently required and needs to play a central part in the teaching of digital skills. In order to truly and fully empower our young people, we must create a safe space to work, study and connect through online platforms. If we are ever to achieve gender equality for our young women, which they so richly deserve, we must eradicate gender—based violence online also.

Mr President, political integrity means exercising political power consistently in the public interest. Lobbying has shown us that it can be a force of good when it is being ethically practised, but it can also lead to undue influence to the detriment of public interest and affect public policies when action is taken to benefit one lobbyist group. Transparency is key to ensuring that policymakers, like you and I, do not give preferential treatment to interest groups. Transparency promotes openness, accountability and public trust, and there is an inherent obligation on politicians to share this information with citizens, thus making those in political power accountable to citizens. Today we debate Uber, who themselves have stated that they massaged the facts to earn the trust of drivers, consumers and politicians. This is not acceptable. It is not acceptable to the drivers who work for them and the consumers who use their platform business. In relation to politicians, this only heightens the importance of the Transparency Register, and rules for lobbying are crucial to safeguard the integrity of the public decision—making process. Transparent lobbying is a fundamental component of our democracy. It therefore falls to the Parliament and our Member States to ensure that our European citizens get the truth and all the truth.

Mr President, I welcome the findings of this report and its aim to strengthen consumer protection and the single market, as both go hand in hand. I believe we are looking at and we could see opportunities to drive and support policies and regulations tailored to the industry of gaming and e—sports industries, and they want to be at the table of this conversation. I call for the swift transposition and implementation of this directive on contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services. It will give further confidence to consumers, especially, as many colleagues have shared, the PEGI label for parents and their children. These measures will help both consumers and the gaming industry as it will give confidence to the consumers and the industry and will offer clear parameters in which to operate and build their businesses. Finally may I add, because it was mentioned by a colleague of mine, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the creation of the single market, we must ensure its readiness for the digital age.

Madam President, we know that democratic values and freedom of speech are in retreat and, in some parts of our world and EU, in serious decline. It is essential that we as a European Union defend journalists as this is a means of defending democracy itself. And it is deeply concerning that in 2022 alone 63 journalists have been killed, 78 journalists are retained as hostages and 478 journalists are imprisoned. And that’s just what we know of. On the day that we as a Parliament have awarded the Sakharov Prize to the people of Ukraine, let me echo the words of President von der Leyen when she stated that one lesson from the Ukrainian war is that we should have listened to those who knew Putin best – to Anna Politkovskaya and all the Russian journalists who exposed the crimes and paid the ultimate price. The EU must be guided by its founding values of freedom of expression and ensure the safety of journalists here in the EU and around the world.

Mr President, I know it’s shocking to read news of police investigations into the work of an elected official and staff of Parliament. It is shocking to me and incredibly shocking to our EU citizens. And it is important that due process is followed. Today, in Strasbourg, I, along with 624 MEPs, voted for an early termination of the office of Vice-President of the Parliament Eva Kaili. The public should be able and needs to be able to trust the work of us MEPs and Parliament’s staff. At the end of the day, we are elected by the public for the public to carry out our work in public interest and are answerable to the people. That is our job. Corruption of any nature has no place in our political landscape here or in our Member States. I welcome any internal investigations and improved procedures to uphold the reputation of our EU institutions. We need to be transparent, to be accountable, and to do what is right. I stand for a strong Europe, a fair Europe, and a trusted Europe.

Thank you very much for the question, colleague. I do agree with you. I think we rushed it. I think it was a fantastic year. But ultimately, look at the room right now. We should have 705 MEPs talking about how successful the European Year of Youth was in their constituency. We don’t. We should have younger people as part of this conversation, and not just the younger people sitting up here in the podiums. I think that when we talk about the European youth and protection and this lasting legacy, we also need to deep dive into what worked. I mentioned youth conferences and events, organised local events worked. But, ultimately, who wasn’t in the room? It was all those with different abilities not in the room. It was issues like mental health, like climate change, like the future of digitalisation and their impact on that. Was that heard? It wasn’t. But now we have time, and ultimately I hope that in this building of a lasting legacy, we do take it seriously, and that in our Culture and Education Committee, as we had agreed, we continue to have youth voices heard because, as I mentioned, it is our mission to protect our peace project for the future.

Madam President, the objective of our 2022 European Year of Youth was to shine a light on the importance of Europe’s youth in building a better future, and to put them at the centre of decision making. I believe the EU year was successful in some parts in achieving this, but the work cannot stop. It is essential that we, as EU decision makers, continue to welcome young people in every aspect of our work. We must build a lasting legacy. Yearly youth conferences and events should take place across all four corners of our Union, fostering local debates and encouraging young people to give their much—valued input into developing EU policy. In addition, I ask the Commission to adopt an EU youth test to mainstream a youth perspective into the preparation of all our European policies. In September, I was delighted to welcome four aspiring parliamentarians from my Midlands–North—West constituency to the Parliament as part of the EPP’s Youth Week. I saw first hand the commitment our young people have to our European peace project, our future and the invaluable perspectives they offered to us all. I want to thank Chloe, Lisa, Amy and Dean for joining us at EPP Youth Week. Let us ensure that we continue to listen to the voices of young people and make their future our ultimate mission. (The speaker agreed to respond to a blue-card speech)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, the love of a family knows no borders. In her State of the Union address in 2020, our Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, affirmed to us all: if you are a parent in one country, you are a parent in every country. But sadly, the freedom of movement of rainbow families is not guaranteed. It is a time now that the Commission and the Council act to ensure the legal protection for rainbow families exercising their fundamental right to free movement, and that the Baby Sara judgment is implemented. Any Member State that infringes on the values of human dignity, human rights, freedom and equality should be held accountable. In my own Member State of Ireland, despite the legalisation of same—sex marriage in 2015, rainbow families still face a variety of struggles, especially concerning the legal parenthood of children. The choice of donors affects same sex parents’ legal relationship to their children. In particular, the system leaves gay men and our trans—community and others having children in legal limbo. Every child deserves to have their parents’ name on their birth certificate, and as my colleague Marc Angel shared, no child deserves to be stateless. In striving to build a Union of equality, let us make sure that all rainbow families can enjoy the rights that every other family in the EU holds dear.

Madam President, in the past three years of this Parliament, how many times have we discussed the actions or, in most cases, the lack of action by the Hungarian Government? How many? We have debated the serious consequences of their decisions that have impacted, in my belief, the founding principles of our Union. And yet here we are, again. The Hungarian Government has not delivered in solidarity in protecting the fundamental rights of EU citizens, yet they sit comfortably in protecting their economic assets with their continued push back against sanctions on Russian energy. The Commission and the Council must understand when a country continues to strike and strip the LGBTI+ community and other minority groups of their rights. We cannot continue to ignore. We cannot. Discrimination against one group festers, it spreads outwards and it can affect more and more communities, and we must pay attention. We cannot turn our backs on EU citizens no matter which EU governments attempt to work against the founding principles. We work to protect the people of Hungary, to protect all citizens. And as shared earlier, the rule of law is not to be negotiated.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, creativity, design, storytelling, animation and music – all of these components are key for a successful video game. However, as shared just now, society has perpetrated a stereotype of gaming as anti—social and very technical, without recognising its massive cultural and creative impact. Global gaming revenue in 2021 was billions of euro – that is bigger than Hollywood and the music industry combined. We here in Europe must recognise the potential of the video games sector in developing creative talent and upscaling cultural creators, as we see. A great example of the opportunities in this sector is Black Shamrock, a leader in gaming development globally, based in Dublin city centre, who just today announced 80 jobs due to growing demand in their work. GamerFest, Ireland’s biggest e-sports festival, was held last month very successfully and outlined the endless creative industry and the strength of the gaming community as a whole. In order to maintain Europe’s position as a cultural centre, we must look to the future and invest in our video game sector through Horizon Europe and Creative Europe. I welcome this finding and thank you very much to our colleagues for their work.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, this week in Kyiv, rather than striking military targets, Russian missiles damaged cultural spaces, parks and monuments. One of those missiles cratered a children’s playground, just a few metres from a monument dedicated to Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine’s national poet. Russia’s war against Ukraine is an attempt to eradicate Ukrainian identity, its heritage and its history. These acts, as said by many of my colleagues, amount to a war crime, and targeting these shared spaces where Ukrainians come together to celebrate their rich culture is an attempt by Russia to break the spirit of the Ukrainian community. Russia is not just freezing people out. Russia is trying to tear communities apart and scare people into isolation. However, Russia has and will continue to fail, but that requires our continued support here in the European Union. I have seen first-hand the resolve of the Ukrainian people when I visited the border last month and met, like many of you, Ukrainian community members in our Member States. Let’s continue to strengthen our solidarity with the people of Ukraine through defending and celebrating their culture, their history and, the most important, their future. (The speaker concluded the speech in an unofficial language)

Mr President, hate kills. Tepláreň bar, once a safe space for Bratislava’s LGBTI+community, has now fallen silent, with flowers lining the pavement outside following the homophobic murder of Matusz and Juraj. Backsliding on LGBTI+ rights is a growing issue within our EU, with Europe’s LGBTI community increasingly living in fear and experiencing high levels of verbal and physical violence. Words prompt actions and rhetoric incites hatred. This gunman was motivated by far—right ideology, which has been fuelled by the reckless and irresponsible statements of politicians. I stand with the two victims and the thousands of people who took part in the vigil for them, demanding action on LGBTI+ rights, demanding safety and demanding respect. I send my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of both victims. We continue our work for equality in their name.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, Council representatives, I welcome this much—needed debate and our Parliament’s support of it. Commissioner, you’ve been dedicated to our citizens’ mental health long before your mandate as our Health Commissioner began, and I want to thank you for your continued support. At this very podium last month, in her State of the Union, President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a dedicated initiative for mental health. Finally, a Commission president who is listening to the thousands of Europeans who demand and expect their mental health to be supported by our EU. In the past 10 to 15 years, our citizens have faced the great recession in 2008, Brexit and nearly three years of pandemic, and are now facing great uncertainty with inflation, the cost of living, an energy crisis, a climate crisis and multiple wars. We desperately need to understand that mental health is about being proactive and preventative in our care and should never solely focus on existing in a stressful cycle of reactive support. We need the initiative introduced by the President to promote well—being. We need the initiative to protect the rights of people who live the experience of mental health and tackle the stigma and discrimination they face on a daily basis. We need each of our 27 EU ministers responsible for mental health, working collectively with experts and organisations, but not just in silo. Creating an EU mental health strategy is now needed more than ever, and we need that strategy to be implemented in weeks, not years. These are the actions we need to tackle to improve the daily lives of millions of our EU citizens.

Mr President, I welcome the reactive measures, such as the proposed introduction of a windfall tax, but it should not have taken European leaders over 236 days of a crippling crisis to introduce such measures. While this debate focused primarily on using the windfall tax mechanism on fossil fuel companies, we must utilise this instrument for the large building suppliers and supermarkets. Ensuring families, feeding their families and building their homes and growing their businesses can survive the coming weeks and months. In addition, it is incredibly important we recognise that the cost of living crisis is affecting people’s mental wellbeing. Following this debate, we will lead a dedicated discussion on mental health. These two discussions are connected now more than ever. This emphasises the need for a comprehensive EU approach to mental health and not just talking about in times of crisis, but as a cornerstone for all 27 Member States.

Mr President, we cannot begin to understand what the community in Donegal has been going through for the past ten days since the explosion in a service station and an apartment block. The tragedy in Creeslough stole ten precious lives from a very small rural community in the north west of Ireland. No words can comprehend what the families and those who are still working tirelessly on the front lines have gone through and are continuing to go through in the process. And it is important we honour the lives lost and share our support, solidarity and hope from the European Parliament to the community in Donegal. A book of condolences will be placed outside the EPP Group meeting room here in the Parliament for all colleagues, staff and friends as we stand together as a European community with heartfelt sympathies. I want to thank for the support shown to the people of Creeslough and Donegal, and I also share my thanks to the President of our European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.