What Chris spoke about.

13

Jun

2023

EN Speech

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Large transport infrastructure projects in the EU (A9-0181/2023 - Andrey Novakov)

Madam President, while I was pleased to support this report, I must again state my frustration at the Irish Government’s inaction in reintroducing Ireland’s Atlantic corridor back into the TEN-T core network. It is beyond comprehension at a time of climate crisis, a Green Minister for Transport sits on his hands, delaying our Western seaboard ability to access sustainable transport such as the Wes…

13

Jun

2023

EN Speech

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Negotiations on the European Electoral Law (debate)

Madam President, citizens of most Member States who are living in a third country can still vote in European elections. However, in a small minority of countries, including Ireland, citizens living outside the EU are completely disenfranchised. This effectively creates two classes of EU citizens: those who have the right to vote and those who don’t. Many hundreds of thousands of Irish, Czechs, Slo…

1

Jun

2023

EN Speech

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Strengthening social dialogue (B9-0259/2023)

Madam President, I strongly welcome the committee's insistence and the need for workers to have the right to avail of collective bargaining. In Ireland, this right has long been denied. The need for collective bargaining to be protected by legislation has never been greater. An ideology of neoliberalism with hugely damaging consequences for workers and family has reigned across Ireland and Europe …

1

Jun

2023

EN Speech

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Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (A9-0184/2023 - Lara Wolters)

A Uachtaráin, I was happy to vote in favor of the CSDDD. Today’s vote was an important milestone towards improving the global landscape on business and human rights. This is a crucial piece of legislation that will finally hold multinational companies to task for the myriad human rights and environmental abuses linked to their value chains. The position established today is not perfect, but I am p…

31

May

2023

EN Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, according to new data compiled by the Newstalk radio station, there are substantially more short—term holiday lets available in Ireland than long—term lets. Galway has nearly 20 times more short—term lets than long—term, while Donegal, also my constituency, has 47 times more. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil governments are pushing our young people away from a future in Ireland. To paraphra…

10

May

2023

EN Speech

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Fighting cyberbullying of young people across the EU (debate)

Mr President, I want to welcome this debate on confronting cyberbullying amongst young people. And I want to acknowledge my colleague, Frances Fitzgerald, who has done sterling work in this regard. And I especially wish to praise the work of Jackie Fox, who joins us today to honour her daughter Coco, a victim of cyberbullying. You are in our thoughts. Bullying has a profound effect on the victims.…

19

Apr

2023

EN Speech

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EU Rapid Deployment Capacity, EU Battlegroups and Article 44 TEU: the way forward (A9-0077/2023 - Javi López)

Madam President, successive opinion polls in Ireland have confirmed that the majority of the Irish people are opposed to any dilution of Irish neutrality. The very idea that we set up EU battlegroups is a clear violation of that neutrality. I am astonished that this House would be asked to promote qualified majority voting instead of unanimity when it comes to military matters, effectively asking …

19

Apr

2023

GA Speech

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Guidelines for the 2024 budget - Section III (A9-0124/2023 - Janusz Lewandowski)

Mr. President, although I welcome the fact that this report is very welcome, I was not in a position to support it. We are facing a huge challenge and this report does not address these challenges. What is needed is a budget that gives priority to citizens, and I do not see that in this report. Also, there is too much emphasis in this report on military matters. Ireland is a neutral country and we…

19

Apr

2023

EN Speech

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Digital euro (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, I think it’s fair to say that the digital euro has not captured the public’s imagination. It is, however, an important innovation, and it’s one that we must get right. In the digital age, there are some who would have us abandon cash altogether. This must not happen. Workers, consumers and small businesses must continue to be allowed to use their own cash – their own mo…

19

Apr

2023

EN Speech

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Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCa) - Information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets (recast) (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, I firstly want to thank Mr Berger and all who worked on this file. And I want to be clear: my support is based on the fact that this legislation brings transparency, protects consumers and adds financial stability. I have no interest in creating a market in or fostering the use of crypto assets. At their worst they are pyramid schemes, are used by criminal gangs for …

29

Mar

2023

EN Speech

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Formal sitting - Ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

, it is only right that this house celebrates the Good Friday Agreement and the 25 years of peace and progress it has brought to the island of Ireland. This historic agreement put in place a new constitutional framework in the north of Ireland that would finally guarantee equality, justice and human rights. The Good Friday Agreement is a peace process and a political process. It’s a living, breath…

14

Mar

2023

EN Speech

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Implementation report on the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU - The Windsor Framework (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner Šefčovič, colleagues, first we want to welcome this report and to thank Pedro for all his work. In all the arguments about checks and controls in the Irish Sea, developments about human rights have got very little attention. I'm very pleased that the report stresses the importance of Article 2 on the non-diminution of rights. The language of hostility to human rights by …

16

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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Availability of fertilisers in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, family farmers in Ireland and across the EU face soaring costs. Corporate greed is responsible, and family farmers are suffering for it. It is obnoxious that corporations are using the geopolitical situation to exploit them. Despite the recent fall in the price of natural gas, fertiliser companies continue to charge extortionate rates. Improvements in the market have no…

15

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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European Central Bank - annual report 2022 (debate)

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, colleagues, five times in nine months the ECB has increased interest rates, with huge implications both economic and societal. It’s the final straw for many struggling to get by at a time of immense pressure on working families and people. In Ireland, this is compounded by the EU and our government’s fixation on vulture funds. When family mortgages were sold of…

1

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, last week the Irish Government failed to support a Sinn Féin motion demanding the end to a deal between Coillte, the Irish state—owned forestry service and the British Investment Fund Gresham House. Irish public farmers and environmentalists alike are united in their indignation. The use of our natural assets in a deal with foreign investment funds adds insult to injury. Again, anoth…

18

Jan

2023

EN Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 15 December 2022 (continuation of debate)

Madam President, President of the Council, President and Vice—President of the Commission, this has been a tough winter for many people across Europe, and we must be clear: much of the blame lies at the door of Vladimir Putin and his brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. As always, solidarity with the people of Ukraine must be our watchword, and to join with your words a couple of minutes ago,…

5

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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The EU’s response to the increase in energy prices in Europe (RC-B9-0416/2022, B9-0416/2022, B9-0417/2022, B9-0418/2022, B9-0419/2022, B9-0420/2022, B9-0421/2022, B9-0422/2022)

Mr President, today the Parliament endorsed the Council’s measures to tackle rising energy prices and the misery they are causing so many households. These measures are a step in the right direction, but we all know that much more is needed to tackle this crisis while decarbonising our energy system and eliminating energy poverty. The broken energy market needs to be reformed so that the price we …

5

Oct

2022

GA Speech

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Access to water as a human right – the external dimension (A9-0231/2022 - Miguel Urbán Crespo)

Mr President, I voted in favour of this report because I believe that water is a human rights matter. This report highlighted the fact that water is a public good that is vital to human life, and is not an item for profit. No matter where you are in the world. Clean and safe water should be available to everyone.…

4

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Radio Equipment Directive: common charger for electronic devices (debate)

Madam Chair, like probably all of us, I too warmly welcome this agreement. It is important that consumer rights and environmental considerations trump commercial interests at least some of the time. There could be no justification for one company to insist on a different charger for its devices. That situation simply costs consumers money and led to unnecessary electronic waste. This standardisati…

14

Sep

2022

EN Speech

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Economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU: the 8th Cohesion Report - EU border regions: living labs of European integration (debate)

Madam President, I welcome these reports. However, the 8th report unfortunately reaffirms that my home region in Ireland, the north and west, has for over a decade been stuck in a so-called development trap. The region has actually slipped in relative terms from being a developed region to a region in transition. It begs the question: In transition to what? The route out of this trap must be inves…

12

Sep

2022

EN Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, in two weeks’ time, the Irish Government will present its 2023 budget. Much fanfare and kite flying as we await what measures the government will introduce to help workers and families meet the everyday challenges of the cost of living crisis. Unfortunately, for many, the measures the government introduce will likely be too little and too late. It’s astonishing to me that whilst work…

7

Jul

2022

EN Speech

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Developing an EU Cycling Strategy (debate)

Mr President, I want to welcome this debate, the development of an EU cycling strategy. I agree with the proposer of the debate that cycling should be acknowledged as a transport mode that is as valid as any other, and that its benefits in health and reduced road congestion should be recognised – not to mention the fact that a cycle strategy will be crucial to our efforts in tackling climate chang…

6

Jul

2022

EN Speech

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The UK government’s unilateral introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and respect for international law (debate)

Mr President, , this debate is long overdue and one sought by The Left Group. The British Government are not only attacking the protocol; they are attacking the Good Friday Agreement. They must not succeed. The north of Ireland has changed. People will not accept supremacy by regressive unionism from the DUP or their paramilitary allies. The protocol protects the north from the worst damage caused…

4

Jul

2022

GA Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

In June, MEPs voted in favour of a European Parliament resolution on the future of European islands. One suggestion in this report was that 2024 would be the Year of Islands in the European Union. I firmly believe in this proposal and I am of the opinion that it will allow us to have a real discussion on the future of our coastal and island communities. I have since written to the Commission to en…

23

Jun

2022

EN Speech

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National vetoes to undermine the global tax deal (debate)

Mr President, I warmly welcome this debate so that I can put on record that my party, Sinn Féin, totally opposes moving away from unanimity on tax matters. I also want to put on record our support for the OECD deal and the EU directive implementing it. Hungary has been cynical in opposing the deal. It’s reneging on its word. All those that signed up to the OECD deal in the EU and across the world,…