What Barry spoke about.

11

Mar

2024

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Definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, sanctions work and are working against Russia when it is estimated that it has lost greater than EUR 400 billion from its economy as a result of EU sanctions, thus restricting its capacity to pursue its imperialist and illegal war in Ukraine. This directive is aimed at circumvention and I would expect also a strong focus on the subsidiaries of EU companies. I would ask the Commission to give serious consideration to the establishment of an EU office focused on circumvention and implementation of sanctions at Member State level, as recommended by the EU Sanctions Envoy, David O’Sullivan. The one glaring omission from the wide range of sanctions deployed by the EU is Israel. Given the German Foreign Ministry last week tweeted its condemnation of the expansion of West Bank settlements, describing it in its tweet as a grave violation of international humanitarian law, with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza reaching the level of a famine and children starving to death, it is towering hypocrisy for the EU to exclude this crisis from its programme of sanctions.

29

Feb

2024

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Commission recommendation on secure and resilient submarine cables (debate)

Mr President, much of the discussion in Ireland is about naval capacity, but the recommendation we’re debating today makes no mention of naval capability, and there is no way that Ireland could – or should – survey or police subsea cables, which are for the most part not in our territorial waters, and in any case privately owned. Whether we like it or not, we will have to cooperate with partners like the UK, Iceland and other EU Member States, and partners have made it clear that they want to work through NATO. It’s not about joining NATO, but about cooperating in a flexible way with NATO on exchange of information and situation analysis. Finally, Ireland can make a significant contribution to the new expert group referred to in the recommendation. We can provide information, carry out risk assessments and cable mapping, and cooperate with the expert group in this way. And we can also work on fast approval of planning and licensing applications, which otherwise are holding up the work of securing resilient submarine cables. Finally, I think we need to press the Commission expert group for recognition of cable projects of European interest in Ireland and associated funding.

28

Feb

2024

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The extradition and prosecution of Julian Assange and implications on freedom of the press (debate)

Madam President, I want to add my voice of support to the campaign against the extradition of Julian Assange. I have very little faith in the quality of US justice. However, I want to focus on the second part of this debate: the implications on freedom of the press, because some of the sponsors of this debate are themselves no strangers to attacks on the press. One of the Irish parties of the left, Sinn Féin, identify that the extradition of Mr Assange is an attempt to suppress journalism. But this is the same party that was accused just a few weeks ago of deliberately targeting the media. According to a letter signed by the National Union of Journalists, Pen International and Reporters Without Borders, ‘the number of legal actions that have been filed by Sinn Féin members points to a coordinated campaign against the media in Ireland’. According to Index on Censorship, a UK-based watchdog: ‘We are not aware of members of any other Irish party taking a comparable number of concurrent cases against the media in recent years’. The other Irish MEPs on the left have a bit of form when it comes to suing media outlets as well. What we need is an honest debate about media freedom. We can’t choose the journalists that cover our activities as politicians.

27

Feb

2024

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War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, I want to talk today about evidence. There is sadly widespread evidence of starvation in Gaza, and especially in the north and especially among children. There is evidence of deliberate obstacles being put in the way of the delivery of humanitarian aid by the Israeli authorities, described yesterday by the UN rapporteur on the right to food as a war crime. By contrast, according to Sigrid Kaag, in her presentation to the Foreign Affairs Council, here in the EU, there is no evidence whatsoever to back up the claim by Israel that 12 UNRWA staff took part in the horrors of 7 October. Equally, there is no evidence to support Israel’s claim that 10 % of UNRWA’s staff have links to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. EU Member States have ignored this paradox and the ECJ has directed that immediate and effective efforts be made to deliver aid. Since that judgement was delivered, aid has fallen by half. So I implore Member States to make decisions not based on punitive political considerations, but on evidence. And I implore the Commission to disperse in full its commitment to support the UN replaceable and heroic work of UNRWA.

27

Feb

2024

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Driving licences (debate)

Madam President, already in 2024, Irish road deaths have almost exceeded the total number of deaths on the roads in 2019. The main causes are phone usage, speeding and not wearing seatbelts. The police also say that all of the success in the campaign against driving while under the influence of alcohol has been wiped out by a huge increase in driving under the influence of drugs. I have read many analyses of this sudden and tragic increase in road deaths. Nowhere have I seen it suggested that a good way to tackle this would be by increasing the number of medical tests for older drivers. That is why I strongly welcome the renewed focus on updating the directive and was strongly opposed to the measure on medical tests and the validity of licences for older people. Let’s look at penalties for speeding and mobile phone usage. Let’s look at increased police presence at speed limits and mandatory drug testing. Targeting older drivers is looking in the wrong place for the right answers.

26

Feb

2024

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, the attempt by the right in this hemicycle to kill the nature restoration law is shameful. We need to work together to restore nature, which is our lifeline. There’s too much at stake tomorrow and rejection cannot be an option. We cannot kick away the biodiversity pillar of the Green Deal. We have seen and witnessed the collapse of Europe’s natural systems. More than 80 % of European habitats have vulnerable status and this applies equally to Ireland. Voting in favour of nature restoration tomorrow will give us the opportunity to contribute to a truly historic and pivotal piece of legislation that will improve the lives of people for generations and generations to come. And one of the most important reasons for supporting nature restoration is economic. It seems to escape the right in this hemicycle that the economy and nature don’t compete: they complement one another. That’s why 1 400 businesses wrote a letter of support of the law and according to the EU’s own impact assessment, the costs upon which opponents exclusively focus is EUR 150 billion, whereas the benefits are likely to be EUR 1.8 trillion.

8

Feb

2024

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Working conditions of teachers in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, like the last speaker, I am a former schoolteacher and can personally attest to the challenging but incredibly rewarding nature of the teaching profession. However, the rising cost of living, long commutes and rising populations have led to a teacher retention crisis across the European Union. A recent survey carried out by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland showed 64% of schools have unfilled vacancies, and another by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) showed 75% of schools surveyed received no applications for teaching posts advertised. This is affecting the most vulnerable and special education disproportionately. Free school books for the junior cycle and the Public Sector Pay Agreement are very welcome, but I would encourage the Irish Government to engage with unions on disputes about incremental payments for teachers returning from abroad. Ireland performs extremely well on PISA surveys, and such engagement would be a practical recognition of that performance.

7

Feb

2024

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Recent attacks on Christmas Eve in Plateau State in Nigeria

– Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues. First of all, we don’t know who carried out these attacks; nobody has claimed responsibility for them. If – as is suspected – it is Fulani herders, that maybe should have informed the drafting of the ECR resolution, which makes no reference whatsoever to the conflicts between herders and pastoralists in the area where these despicable attacks happened. There is no doubt that there is jihadi violence; nobody denies that. However, we need to look at the deeper symptoms of it, and the deeper symptoms of it are poor governance, corruption and the absence of the rule of law. We had an election last year in Nigeria that fell very, very far short of the standards Nigeria set for itself. What has the EU done in response to the corruption that was carried out in that election? Almost nothing. We shouldn’t be surprised to find these symptoms at large in Nigeria. This resolution falls very far short of what is expected of a proper debate about the complexities of what’s happening in Nigeria.

7

Feb

2024

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The fight against hate speech and disinformation: responsibility of social platforms within the Digital Services Act (topical debate)

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, the Digital Services Act will create a safer digital space in which all users are protected. And I look forward to its full commencement on 17 February. It will protect against hate speech and disinformation and protect our democracies. It will hold online platforms accountable so that our democracies can be a marketplace of ideas. Freedom of expression is guaranteed in the Irish Constitution and vindicated in Irish courts. In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Ireland ranked second in the world. The great Irish leader, Daniel O'Connell, said almost 200 years ago, ‘I am the friend of liberty in every clime, class, colour and creed’. In 2024, almost 200 years later, it is, incredibly, even more important than ever to protect that same liberty. Last November, as buses burned in the centre of Dublin city, an individual sought out foreigners to attack. Rapid dissemination of inflammatory content online became a catalyst for real-world violence. However, I am conflicted about Ireland’s own hate speech legislation. On the one hand, Elon Musk says he will fund a legal challenge to the proposal, which in my book means it must be very good. On the other hand, our existing incitement to hatred legislation is barely enforced, and the Digital Services Act surely changes everything. So I would encourage the Irish Government to carry out an urgent review of the proposal in light of the forthcoming commencement of the Digital Services Act.

6

Feb

2024

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State of play of the implementation of the Global Gateway and its governance two years after its launch (debate)

Mr President, the Commission cites democratic values as the first core principle of the Global Gateway policy. But I am struggling to see how this initiative is democratic. Firstly, it was not conceived in a democratic way, with the European Parliament frozen out of the implementation of the policy, and the responsible Commissioner has never appeared in this Parliament to account for the implementation of the policy. Secondly, I do not see how the policy is supposed to foster democracy. Only 2 of the 46 partner countries can be considered high-performance democracies. So what we are left with is the naive hope that economic growth fosters some kind of democratic spirit. We know from the histories of China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries that this is a myth. And thirdly, we have a business advisory group which has met now with 60 members, some connected with the Chinese state and none of them from the Global South. So we need – and I agree with Ms González in this regard – more transparency, we need more community development agreements, and we need stronger conditionality. Otherwise, we are vulnerable to the accusation of hypocrisy and double standards, undermining the EU’s credibility.

6

Feb

2024

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Russiagate: allegations of Russian interference in the democratic processes of the European Union (debate)

Madam President, listening to the debate it is clear that the allegations against MEP Ždanoka that she provided far-ranging assistance to Russian intelligence services came as no surprise to anyone in this Hemicycle and, of course, there is multiple evidence of Russian interference throughout this European Parliament, and it is set out in multiple reports. Yet no one has been more aligned to MEP Ždanoka than the two Irish MEPs of Independents 4 Change. They have tried to brush it off as guilt by association, but they travelled with her to defend a Lithuanian diplomat convicted of spying for Russia. With only 11 other MEPs, they voted not to condemn Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. They posed for photographs and attended webinars with her. So why is it not legitimate to ask: did you have your suspicions? Or are you so naive that you didn’t have any suspicions at all? What a shame it is that Ireland elects MEPs making excuses for Kremlin aggression and Putin’s relentless campaign to undermine European elections.

5

Feb

2024

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, two words: plausible and credible. Not much difference, you would think. By an overwhelming majority, the judges of the International Court of Justice found that South Africa’s claim that Israel had breached certain articles of the Genocide Convention to be ‘plausible’. So what did European governments do on the finding of plausible genocide acts? Nothing. The following day, and hardly coincidentally, an intelligence assessment found that 12 UNWRA staff out of 13 000 were possibly involved in the horrors of 7 October. A US assessment found this to be ‘credible’. What did EU governments do on the finding of credible intelligence assessment? They cut off humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza at a time of maximum vulnerability. Well, I think it is both plausible and credible that these governments stand complicit in the war crime of collective punishment of the people of Gaza.

5

Feb

2024

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Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, despite it only being five weeks into 2024, 18 people have already lost their lives on Irish roads this year. 2023 had the highest fatality rate in nearly a decade in Ireland, made worse by a substantial increase in the number of deaths of young people. The Road Safety Authority in Ireland has noted that this isn’t just an Irish phenomenon. All over Europe, there has been an increase in fatal crashes since the end of COVID. A recent study by Eurostat found that road fatalities in the EU have increased by 6% after a decade of continuous decline. A new EU directive to extend driving disqualifications is very welcome. To ensure road safety and effective enforcement of road safety regulations, it is crucial that the EU takes a consistent approach to recognising and enforcing driver disqualifications across the Member States. Public awareness campaigns to inform EU citizens of mutual recognition of disqualifications is absolutely essential. Mounting fatalities on both Irish and EU roads have increased the urgency of these measures.

5

Feb

2024

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Order of business

Madam President, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the formation of a new government in Northern Ireland at the weekend. This was a very historic occasion. Michelle O’Neill was elected to be the first nationalist leader of Northern Ireland in its 100-year history. I’d like to also congratulate our former MEP colleague Naomi Long, who resumes her duties as Minister for Justice, and Matthew O’Toole, who will lead the Opposition in the new Northern Ireland Assembly. I would encourage the EU institutions at the earliest time to invite the new First Minister and Deputy First Minister to Brussels, particularly to focus on governance arrangements, and also to engage with their UK colleagues on a potential investment conference, so Northern Ireland can really take advantage of its dual market access to bring peace and prosperity to all of the communities in Northern Ireland.

17

Jan

2024

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Gender aspects of the rising cost of living and the impact of the energy crisis (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, I want to commend the report of the rapporteur. I wasn't a shadow, but I was very struck by your comments earlier, and the way in which chaos can lead to populism, destitution can lead to populism. I think, if anything, the very thoughtful recommendations contained in this report should really make the Commission sit up straight, and I very much hope that it takes the findings of this report very seriously. The cost of living crisis that is currently occurring is not one of equal opportunity. A recent survey in Ireland found that the cost of living crisis is having a disproportionate effect on women, who account for 6 in 10 of those with the lowest quality of life. The same survey found that 46% of women in Ireland are less happy with their financial situation, compared to 54% of men. So why is there a gender aspect to the rising cost of living? Women are highly represented in precarious jobs. They have lower incomes and wealth due to the gender pay, pension and participation gaps, and are still bearing a disproportionate burden of unpaid work. The cost of living crisis has a female face, as the rapporteur has said, and the European Union needs to deliver on its promise to leave no one behind.

16

Jan

2024

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Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues. We should never tire of condemning Hamas and the way in which they have conducted this war with no regard whatsoever for the civilians in Gaza. However, I want to focus on the humanitarian situation. Israel has blamed variously the United Nations, the Egyptian authorities, NGOs and Gazans themselves for the failure to deliver humanitarian aid, blaming – and I quote – ‘the capability of the international organisations inside Gaza to receive this aid’. The facts on the ground do not bear this out. Israel operates a dual-use list that it has not published, and no humanitarian organisation has had sight of. Trucks previously cleared for entry can be turned back arbitrarily if a single item is rejected. For example, absurdly, a tent pole in an Irish aid consignment, the entire consignment has to go back and be unloaded and reloaded. There are those who say, ‘let’s talk positively’, ‘what are the positive proposals’? But Israel has repeatedly rejected calls to internationalise the inspection process. It is therefore impossible not to conclude that Israel is deliberately frustrating the distribution of humanitarian aid. We need a ceasefire immediately.

16

Jan

2024

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Transparency and accountability of non-governmental organisations funded from the EU budget (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, I had the honour to run two NGOs in Ireland over the course of my career. I just wanted to introduce a note of reality to this debate. The amount of compliance, governance and regulatory scrutiny that NGOs have to undergo throughout any EU funding project is well beyond anything that I’ve heard referenced in this debate. In addition, the work of monitoring and evaluation to ensure that funds are applied to the correct beneficiaries is also extraordinary. There is also extensive work on impact assessment in order to show a critical component of all logic frameworks that NGOs in receipt of EU funding operate. So yes, we have to really, properly scrutinise the question of sham NGOs that have been subject to influence operations. But we could end up undermining, not restoring, public trust in NGOs. NGOs have the unique ability to articulate society’s conscience, to bring to light issues that would not otherwise attract public attention, and to speak for those without a voice.

16

Jan

2024

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Empowering consumers for the green transition (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, happy new year. We can’t have a green transition without consumers being fully empowered. As the effects of climate change become more real and deadly, consumers are demanding to make empowered choices. Green products, sustainable practices and ethical sourcing are what a new generation of consumers want, and yet we actually make it more difficult for consumers to make these types of informed choices. Greenwashing and its consequences are a scourge. For too long, manufacturers have been able to claim that their product is sustainable or ethically sourced without requiring proof. This new legislation is a clear sign of action that the EU is prepared to give consumers proper information. Now consumers can rely on clear labelling. Generic environmental labels such as ‘biodegradable’, ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘climate neutral’ will be prohibited. Consumers will now have to be informed which products are more durable and reparable, and real consequences for traders and companies which do not abide by these laws. To achieve a truly sustainable economy, we must empower consumers.

13

Dec

2023

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EU strategy to assist young people facing the housing and cost of living crisis (topical debate)

Vice President, Commissioner and colleagues, there’s no doubt that young people are worse off than previous generations and struggling to meet their basic needs. Addressing the housing and cost-of-living crisis is immensely complex, but one angle that is often overlooked is that of vacancy. In Ireland particularly, commercial property vacancy is at an all-time high and yet we are struggling to meet housing needs. The impacts of vacancy go beyond housing. Firstly, the more derelict sites we have, the fewer spaces are dedicated as cultural venues, as marketplaces, meeting points or independent businesses. Secondly, converting vacancy to occupancy means less carbon emissions than new builds. And thirdly, as we have seen in Dublin recently, crime is closely related with vacancy due to the absence of footfall and the activities of daily life. I believe we have not yet realised the extent of vacancy and Europe can lead. First, we need an EU common methodology for collecting data on vacancy. Second, the EU could also lead in rethinking office spaces: 60% of Dublin’s vacant buildings are commercial. Tackling vacancy would be one of the most efficient ways of providing alternative and greener sources of accommodation, of revitalising our communities and of making our cities safer for young and old.

13

Dec

2023

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Role of EU development policy in transforming the extractive industries for sustainable development in developing countries (A9-0322/2023 - Barry Andrews) (vote)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, they say that cobalt is the new oil. And depending on where you lie in the political spectrum, you may react differently to this statement. For some people, this is good news. It means the green transition is well underway. For others, it is an unwelcome sign of change. I think of what this means for Africa and it makes me uneasy. The vast majority of the world’s critical raw materials are concentrated in Africa. As is widely known, the Democratic Republic of Congo produces 70% of the world’s cobalt. Of course, this abundance is a huge opportunity for these developing countries, a chance to take a huge leap forward. But have we Europeans learned the lessons of history from Europe’s colonial past and the moral implications of fostering resource dependency? I am afraid we have forgotten all about the resource curse, the paradox of an abundance of natural resources delivering little by way of prosperity for local and indigenous people. This morning’s agreement at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels underlines the urgency to provide safeguards for the next phase of extractive industry. What is to stop cobalt from becoming the new oil? What is to stop the EU from facilitating this as we try to get ahead in the critical raw materials race? This time we must do things differently. We must carry out real and effective due diligence. I want to thank the shadows for their work in this opinion, and I’m sure they won’t mind me paying particular tribute to the late Michèle Rivasi, who brought her usual passion and straight talking to this file. My sincere sympathies to her family and friends.

12

Dec

2023

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Need to release all hostages, to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire and prospect of the two-state solution (debate)

Mr President, High Representative/Vice-President, in the early 2000s, I was a member of the board of the Holocaust Education Trust in Ireland, dedicated to the fight against antisemitism and learning the lessons of the past. Since then, it’s a source of enormous sadness for me to see Israel drift away from the principles that underpin the Oslo Accords, to see Israel drift away from the path towards a two-state solution, and to see Israel contribute to the erosion of its own constitutional balance, with protests on the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The events of 7 October of course deserve utter and unambiguous condemnation, including sexual violence. But we have arrived at a situation where Israel’s need has become a moral code, separate and distinct from international humanitarian law and the rules of conflict. The Irish Government has been absolutely clear that there must be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. I fully support this call. If the EU will not lead, Member States must.

12

Dec

2023

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Defence of democracy package (debate)

Madam President, Commissioners and colleagues, I think, as we all know, we are living through a democratic recession. According to Freedom House, less than 7% of people live in full democracies across the world, which is an astonishing figure in 2023. And 2024 is a crossroads, with 4 billion people entitled to vote in elections, and that will be a record. As both Commissioners pointed out, there is no single solution to the erosion of our democratic standards. My own country, Ireland, is considered one of the strongest democracies in the world. However, we have seen recent outbreaks of violence on our streets, fuelled by disinformation. The violence I’m referring to triggered the first ever Member State alert to the Commission under the Digital Services Act, and therefore, the Digital Services Act will play a critical role in bolstering our democracy in 2024. The second area is journalism. All of the great investigations that have taken place recently – whether it’s the Pandora Papers, the Panama Papers, the Cyprus files – they’ve all come from long form journalism, from investigations that are very expensive. We need to support our journalism to support our democracy.

11

Dec

2023

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, Sellafield is a nuclear waste and storage site on the west coast of England, less than 100 miles from the east coast of Ireland. It stores 140 tonnes of plutonium, but it has been described as a bottomless pit of hell, money and despair. After a year-long investigation, The Guardian newspaper revealed last week that there are very serious dangers at the site. First of all, it found that 2.3 cubic metres of radioactive sludge is being leaked into the ground in the region every single day. A European Parliament report in 2003 said that an accident there could be worse than Chernobyl. Secondly, the investigation found that there is serious cyber attacks and vulnerability at the site, with sleeper malware embedded in its networks. Thirdly, it also found a toxic management culture. There is an agreement between the EU and the UK post-Brexit on nuclear energy, and I would call on you, Commissioner, to use your office to raise these very serious findings of this investigation with your UK counterparts.

11

Dec

2023

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The European Elections 2024 (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, it is truly astonishing to me to meet other MEPs who know that they will be in the next Parliament because of how high they are on their party lists. They know they’re going to be in the next mandate, and it should be obvious to all of us that this disincentivises those candidates from investing time and energy into the process. Those of us who will seek direct elections, without lists, will work intensely to engage with voters, will debate the issues and raise the profile of these elections. Lists put candidates at a remove from the people. Lists empower party officials and they enable processes that are not transparent. It should come as no surprise that Ireland is one of the Member States that is most positive towards EU Membership, so I respect the right of Member States to design their own electoral systems. I very much welcome this report and the work of the rapporteurs, but I think that we have an awful lot to learn from each other, from the way that we elect our MEPs.

23

Nov

2023

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International day for the elimination of violence against women (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, the murder of Ashling Murphy in January 2022 forced a collective reckoning with violence against women that is anything but random. Over one year on from Ashling’s death and ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we must ask ourselves what has changed for the women of Ireland? According to Women’s Aid, 244 women have died violently in Ireland since 1996. The National Women’s Council recently warned that violence against women is at epidemic levels in Ireland. Late night safety is a serious issue, with fear and harassment a reality for many women. Today serves as a stark reminder of the need for practical and impactful initiatives to combat gender-based violence. Vienna, for example, has been committed to gender mainstreaming since 2000. High-quality public lighting and improved safety measures in underground car parks have been implemented. As well as this, tougher sentencing needs to be imposed for those who commit gender-based violence. Judges cannot impose minimum sentence terms in Ireland, while in the UK they can. In fact, the judge presiding over Ashling Murphy’s case lamented that he did not have the power to do so, given that the case was so far up the scale of gravity.