What Barry spoke about.

17

Dec

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner McGrath, for the last decade, democracy has been in retreat, and the idea of democratic recession is not new. Freedom House tells us that, in 2024, the year of elections, global freedom declined for the 18th consecutive year. Now, just 20 % of the global population live in fully free countries. And layered on this already serious problem of democratic backsliding is X, T…

17

Dec

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Toppling of the Syrian regime, its geopolitical implications and the humanitarian situation in the region (debate)

Mr President, Madam Kallas and colleagues, I am just so pleased that Assad is gone. I campaigned against the policy of normalisation. Just last July, eight EU Member States proposed that we would reopen the Syrian embassy in Brussels. That initiative now looks embarrassing. But at its core was the mistake of trying to put EU migration management policy ahead of what might be in the interests of th…

26

Nov

2024

EN Question

Watch

Continued escalation in the Middle East: the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA’s essential role in the region, the need to release all hostages and the recent ICC arrest warrants (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, I would first of all say that Mr Kols is wrong, of course: the European Union carried out a very extensive evaluation to satisfy itself that there is no risk whatsoever of the diversion of EU funding from its intended purpose. That has been established time and time again by the European Commission. I would call on the President of the Commission to make a statement put…

25

Nov

2024

EN Speech

Watch

The outcome of the G20 Leaders' Summit (debate)

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, colleagues, the final communiqué of the G20 summit was surprising in some ways. The establishment of the Global Hunger Alliance was very welcome. The dedication to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the commitment to ending poverty and ending hunger was quite surprising to me. It made me wonder how comfortable EU Member States really would…

22

Oct

2024

EN Answer

Watch

Urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and for safeguarding the UNIFIL mission in light of the recent attacks (debate)

Well, I don't have time to go through your own voting record on human rights issues, but let me restate that the Irish Government was one of the first to recognise the State of Palestine, has continuously insisted on the support of UNWRA, has demanded that there be a review of the EU-Israel trade agreement, and has been four-square standing behind the people of Palestine against Israeli aggression…

22

Oct

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and for safeguarding the UNIFIL mission in light of the recent attacks (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, Israel's Ambassador to the UN last week said, and I quote, 'Hezbollah is using UNIFIL outposts as hiding places'. This is patently false. The truth is that the IDF has continuously and flagrantly violated international law, drawing condemnation from the US, from the UK, France, Germany and Italy, in a rare show of moral enlightenment. Yesterday, an Isr…

22

Oct

2024

EN Question

Watch

Urgent need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and for safeguarding the UNIFIL mission in light of the recent attacks (debate)

Is the speaker aware of the widespread reports that for many years the Israeli Government supported Hamas and facilitated financial support to Hamas through third‑party countries in order to undermine the Palestinian Authority? How does he reconcile that fact with the statements he's just made to the Hemicycle?…

21

Oct

2024

EN Speech

Watch

One-minute speeches (Rule 179)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, we are broadly agreed across this House that nothing we do or say would reward Russia for its aggression and its contempt for human rights. Equally, we are broadly agreed that we would not do or say anything that would reward Iran for its aggression. Yet we are now slowly embarking on a policy to do just that, under the banner of so-called normalisation o…

8

Oct

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Situation in Sudan (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, in my opinion, nothing more clearly exemplifies how European development policy is off track than what has happened in Sudan over the last five years. In 2019, a very brief window opened where the potential for Sudanese democracy to develop occurred, and the opportunity to invest in the political economy of reconciliation and making and helping democracy …

8

Oct

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Outcome of the Summit of the Future: transforming global governance for building peace, promoting human rights and achieving the sustainable development goals (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, whatever you might say about the shortcomings of the UN, everybody showed up. The UN has incredible convening power, and the European Union, more than anybody else, understands the value of multilateralism; it's in our genes. We understand that the sum is greater than the parts – really, really works at a European level and we believe it can work at a glo…

8

Oct

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Escalation of violence in the Middle East and the situation in Lebanon (debate)

Madam President, HR/VP, colleagues, I want to talk about the deployment of UNIFIL, UN peacekeepers present in South Lebanon. As you know, there are 29 positions where peacekeepers from different countries are deployed, including from Ireland. And there is now a request from the Israeli Defence Forces that those UN troops be withdrawn, that they be evacuated from South Lebanon. Well, let us remembe…

18

Sep

2024

EN Speech

Watch

EU response to the Mpox outbreak and the need for continuous action (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, I actually believe that we have learned some lessons from both Ebola and from COVID-19, while some remain to be fully absorbed. An example of this is the growing autonomy of the African Centre for Disease Control, which has forced other organisations actually to sit up straight, and this is real progress, and I would describe it as a 'decolonisation of decis…

17

Sep

2024

EN Speech

Watch

War in the Gaza Strip and the situation in the Middle-East (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, the landmark ruling of the International Court of Justice on 19 July creates a positive obligation on the European Union and on all Member States and all countries that support multilateralism, to take such action as they can to end the occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The rule of law consistently applied requires that the Commissi…

25

Apr

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology products manufacturing ecosystem (Net Zero Industry Act) (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, as this is my last contribution in this mandate at least, I want to thank all of my colleagues that worked with me on the Sustainable Development Goals Alliance, and it is fitting that my last contribution should be on a law that seeks to chart a path for sustainable development and a Green Deal that works for people and planet. I see the green transition…

23

Apr

2024

EN Speech

Watch

EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip (debate)

Madam President, High Representative and colleagues, the Colonna report states that the Government of Israel provided no evidence to support its claim that UNRWA staff were members of Hamas. Nevertheless, these claims led to an avalanche of condemnation of UNRWA by EU Member States, an avalanche of calls to suspend funding of UNRWA, regardless – it seems – of either the devastating humanitarian co…

23

Apr

2024

EN Speech

Watch

European Disability Card and European Parking Card for persons with disabilities - European Disability Card and European Parking Card for persons with disabilities for third country nationals legally residing in a Member State (joint debate - Disability cards)

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, colleagues, last Friday, I had the honour of meeting with the Disability Federation of Ireland and being the first politician to sign their disability pledge. This commitment, on my part, signifies prioritising disability issues and actively working in Parliament on equality and inclusion. The Disability Federation of Ireland welcomed the European Disability Ca…

23

Apr

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Combating violence against women and domestic violence (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, discrimination is where human rights cannot be enjoyed to the full, and if we continue to accept the idea that women are less safe than men on our streets, on our trains, in nightclubs, then we accept discrimination and we accept human rights abuses, and we accept second-class status for women. Women fear public transport and dark streets and prepare defe…

22

Apr

2024

EN Speech

Watch

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, it was my honour to launch Housing Europe’s election manifesto in Brussels in January. For the last two years, I have been exploring ways in which the EU can directly and indirectly support Ireland’s housing policy options, because the reality is that many people struggle to see what the EU can do to help them with the essentials of life, the cost of livi…

22

Apr

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, it is a great pleasure to speak on a new European law aimed at safeguarding the human rights of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. When I visit schools around Dublin, where I come from, and I tell students that their mobile phones, their food and especially their clothes could be tainted by the mark of forced labour and modern slavery, th…

22

Apr

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Common rules promoting the repair of goods (debate)

Madam President, the new law on the right to repair will put money back into consumers’ pockets. It will bring new life to broken appliances and make sure that we move away from a disposable economy to a circular economy. The throwaway culture has come to an end. Your smartphones, your airfryer, your bicycles can be repaired even after the expiration of a warranty or a guarantee. Saving 4 million …

13

Mar

2024

EN Speech

Watch

The immediate risk of mass starvation in Gaza and the attacks on humanitarian aid deliveries

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, first of all I would like to applaud the many Irish artists who have refused to participate in the South by Southwest Festival over the issue of US Army sponsorship. It is correct to shift the focus onto the issue of arms exports to Israel. Last month, the US Senate approved a military aid package of USD 14.5 billion. I can only summarise the official EU and…

13

Mar

2024

GA Speech

Watch

European Semester for economic policy coordination 2024 – European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2024 (joint debate – European Semester)

Mr. President, I wish everyone a warm greeting on St. Patrick's Day. It's Irish language week in Ireland and many people around the world do their best throughout the week to use our own language. First of all, I would like to thank the authors of this report. It is, in my view, a very important topic. Most importantly, European money is available to help with rising costs. There are a lot of fami…

12

Mar

2024

EN Speech

Watch

The adoption of the Special Measure in favour of Tunisia for 2023 (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, and colleagues, externalisation is the current popular approach. The UK recently – this week – struck an agreement with Libya. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Libya. It says if you are in Libya against this advice, you should seek to leave immediately by any practical means. The irony of this paradox is not lost on anybody. This advice,…

12

Mar

2024

EN Speech

Watch

State of play of the corporate sustainability due diligence directive (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, this morning I listened to a presentation on sustainable global supply chains from the SWP, a think tank in Germany, and the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation described its own government’s position on this directive as an embarrassment. At no point did the German Government or my colleagues in the FDP indicate that they intended to kill this dir…

12

Mar

2024

EN Speech

Watch

Question Time with Commissioners - Preparedness of EU governments to combat foreign interference, including from Russia

Commissioner, I have a very specific question about media blackouts in the immediate 24 hours before elections. I think you will say that this is a matter for Member States, that it’s a national competence – and that’s probably correct. Nevertheless, I would like to hear what the Commission has to say about the vacuum that is created by the 24-hour media blackouts, the vulnerability that it create…