Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner and colleagues, rural communities are all too familiar with the mental health challenges that often arise in farming. The challenges of farming life – things like market volatility, late payments, social isolation and so on – can all take their toll. According to a survey of Irish farmers, over half did not know how to contact their local mental health clinic. Nearly a quarter did not know how to get the number of a suicide prevention hotline. And many more don't feel comfortable reaching out for help due to the stigma around the subject. So it's clear to me that we need a comprehensive mental health strategy for farmers. A strategy that paves the way for multi-actor community-led support structures. A strategy that allows for both prevention and intervention at a local level. That said, the problem is much broader than the few factors I have mentioned. Economic uncertainty, of course, is a source of constant stress for farmers. It is incumbent on us to strengthen our farmers' positions within the food value chain, and ensure that they get a fair price for their produce. Healthy farmers are the first step to a strong, resilient food system. So let's stand with those farmers, not just in words, but in action. I would hope to see a comprehensive response from the Commissioner in due time in relation to this subject.

Mr President, I welcome the appointment, for the first time, of a Commissioner for sustainable tourism. It's a vital industry in my constituency and across Europe. And like the rest of society, the sector knows it must play its part in tackling climate change. Ireland has launched a sustainable tourism policy recently, with ambitious targets to 2030 – it's seeking to reduce emissions by 60 % – and the balance between environmental responsibility and economic growth is already being demonstrated along the River Shannon, where boat cruisers have cut carbon footprint by 92 %, switching from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil. In addition, a number of Midlands counties have received Just Transition Funds for the development of sustainable tourism. It should be noted that it's at times like these, supporting rural communities' transition towards more sustainable economic models, that national governments can be asked to provide or to match funding. And unfortunately, too many can be too quick to call for the abolition of important tax measures at home that actually allow Member States to collaborate with the EU and push economic and environmental sustainability in areas like tourism. One thing is clear, however, it's imperative that we support small and medium tourism businesses to navigate their path towards sustainability. I know with the right policies and investments we can build...

Mr President, colleagues, the expansion and growth of cities are fundamental to regional development across Europe. However, too often restrictive and protracted planning procedures in many Member States stand in the way of infrastructure progress. These bottlenecks prevent us from meeting the needs of our citizens and regions. In my own constituency, the city of Galway faces exactly that challenge. The development of a new ring road, vital for easing decades of road congestion and promoting the city's growth, has been hamstrung by ridiculous planning delays. Similarly, the development of Galway's port holds enormous potential, especially for offshore wind energy along the West coast. This investment could play a significant role in Europe's energy transition, reducing our dependency on Russian gas. At a time when energy prices in Europe are five times higher than that of the US, such investments are not just important, they are essential for our future. To address these challenges, we need to identify a threshold which caters for a streamlined process of infrastructure planning permissions, notwithstanding or compromising best practices. Then we will be responding to Draghi's cry in his recent report to president von der Leyen, highlighting but addressing, and maybe overturning, Europe's present diminishing competitiveness and growth trajectory.

Mr President, Members, I want to first welcome the appointment of the new commissioner position for housing alongside the energy portfolio, which I believe has been long overdue. Housing, as we all know, remains one of the most critical challenges facing governments across Europe. Given its importance, I believe a dedicated committee should be established by Parliament to address this issue in a focused and comprehensive manner. I would ask that a Europe-wide plan be formulated by this committee, which would then be presented to the Commission and the Council for evaluation. And while I cannot speak for the situation in every Member State, I do know that in Ireland we have been confronting a housing crisis for several years now. Have we solved it? Most definitely not. But we must acknowledge that significant progress has been made. We have increased housing output, improved access for first time buyers, removed unnecessary regulatory barriers and fast-tracked some – but not all – planning delays and mobilised state lands for affordable and social housing. These are important steps forward. However, to sustain and build on this momentum, it is essential that we review State aid rules as determined by the EU to ensure that they do not hinder Member States in addressing housing emergencies when they arise. Our shared goal of delivering decent, affordable housing for all citizens requires continued flexibility and support at almost every level, including this one.

Madam President, it highlights a critical issue. If subsidies diminish, so too do sales. This underscores the affordability challenge many households face in transitioning to sustainable heating technologies like heat pumps. For some families, the financial burden of moving from outdated kerosene boilers to heat pumps is too great. However, these households can still contribute to our green goals by switching from such fuels to hydrotreated vegetable oil, which must be recognised, for example, as a sustainable heating fuel. It is recognised as a sustainable transport fuel in several European countries and a sustainable heating fuel in the likes of the UK and France. In Ireland, even though we have a Green environment minister, he won't recognise HVO as a sustainable fuel – figure that one out. It can and should be recognised as a sustainable fuel for households across the EU. I urge this Commission to champion HVO as an affordable, low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels. Promoting its adoption can enable households reliant on kerosene oil to transition with minimal financial strain, while reducing carbon emissions by up to 90 % over a 10‑year period. By advancing this solution, we can strengthen our commitment to a greener future while supporting families in their journey towards affordable decarbonisation.

Mr President, extreme weather events are an ongoing threat to local communities and agriculture. The responsibility of overarching EU policy is, of course, to transition those sectors that continue to contribute to climate change. Progress has been made, but it is stalling and at risk of regressing without change. Agriculture itself is at a crossroads and faces two major roadblocks: high energy costs and second, the cost foregone metric related to existing eco and environmental schemes is failing. The two resolutions I would want this new Commission to champion: are first, a commitment to invest in pan-European sustainable power-generation projects. For example, the massive potential that exists off the west coast of Ireland can not only aid that country, but can aid Europe in lessening its dependency on Russian gas. The second issue is to create a new funding stream that is separate and distinct from CAP, which would reward farms rather than just a cost forgone metric, as I said, but champion enviro- and eco-schemes. And that would allow CAP, of course, to return to its original remit of supplementing farm income and supporting sustainable food systems to produce, that would align our environmental ambition with consumer sentiment and thus, of course, deliver a dividend for farmers, for society and climate change.