What Cynthia spoke about.

11

Sep

2025

GA Speech

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Implementation and streamlining of EU internal market rules to strengthen the single market (debate)

Chairperson, Commissioner. We have a single market, but it is not fully exploited. We have allowed ourselves to be bent under the burden of red tape and too many rules in the EU. The result? Small choke businesses and weakened and reduced job creation, innovation left aside. The new EU commission pledged to reduce red tape, rules and regulation. But are they going to do it? Researchers from the In…

10

Sep

2025

GA Speech

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Need for a strong European Democracy Shield to enhance democracy, protect the EU from foreign interference and hybrid threats, and protect electoral processes in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Europe is facing a sharp increase in threats from foreign interference and disinformation campaigns. Trust in our European institutions is under attack and building divisions in our communities. The world is at a crossroads: democracy is under enormous pressure and autocratic regimes around the world use disinformation as a tool of hate. In Renew Europe, we believe there is an urgent…

10

Sep

2025

GA Speech

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Package travel and linked travel arrangements: make the protection of travellers more effective and simplify and clarify certain aspects (debate)

Chair, Commissioner, When travel and holiday companies failed 5 years ago, he left many people on the white spot and suffered many penalties. Thomas Cook left thousands of people, as I said, on the white beach and during COVID-19 and lockdown, many families lost their savings. The money was gone, no compensation, and the confidence was broken. This is now over. I have worked hard and directly on t…

9

Jul

2025

GA Speech

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Lessons from Budapest Pride: the urgent need for an EU wide anti-discrimination law and defending fundamental rights against right-wing attacks (topical debate)

Chair, Commissioner, thank you. Last month, I proudly marched with my LGBTQI+ colleagues in the Budapest Pride parade. I marched with hundreds of ordinary people from all over Europe and Hungary. Older people, children with parents and teenagers. Everyone is friendly, friendly and united. United against Orbán. We sent strong messages to Orbán that Europe would not stand up for its homophobic leade…

17

Jun

2025

GA Speech

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Situation in the Middle East (joint debate)

Madam Chair, High Representative, I am deeply concerned about Israel's military attacks on Iran and its counter-attacks on Israel. I am mainly concerned for the innocent people, the civilians. The deliberate assault of civilians or civilian infrastructure is a violation of international humanitarian law. De-escalations of the conflict and moderation are necessary. If there is an escalation, there …

17

Jun

2025

GA Speech

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Latest developments on the revision of the air passenger rights and airline liability regulations (debate)

Chairperson, Commissioner. Old stories of heart torment: Flying delay, connecting flight cancelled, left in a pit on your own. A spoiled holiday trip or a lost family wedding. Are you looking for help? You are sent back and forth between the airline and the booking company for months. This review is intended to stop this. You won't have to accept whatever offer comes from the body - a delay of 24 …

17

Jun

2025

GA Speech

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EU framework conditions for competitive, efficient and sustainable public transport services at all levels (debate)

Chair, Commissioner, if we want public transport to be a realistic option for people, it must be effective and attractive. There is a need for a high-quality, affordable and accessible transport system. With passengers taking the intercity train this morning from Cork to Dublin, they spent 2 hours and 39 minutes on the train, but, it would take the same amount of time in the car. Earlier this year…

16

Jun

2025

GA Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Chairs, Europe's regional airports contribute significantly to connectivity, competitiveness and balanced economic growth in Europe's regions. I am concerned, unfortunately, that we are not investing enough on them, for example in the southwest of Ireland, which is located in my constituency, which includes Waterford Airport, Waterford Airport, left half-in-work. It is a great opportunity for Wate…

7

May

2025

GA Speech

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The fine against TikTok and the need to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights on social media platforms (debate)

Mr. President, Commissioner. It is vital that the digital world is trustworthy and that our private data is protected as it should be. You have the right to know what information is being collected about you, and why, and where it is being stored, and to know that it is not being sold or being abused in some way. We often hear that controls destroy innovation, but we have seen how self-regulation …

3

Apr

2025

GA Speech

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Health care related tourism: protecting EU patients abroad (debate)

Dear Chairs, over 700 000 Irish people are waiting on hospital waiting lists. Under the Cross-Border Health Directive these patients can benefit from the possibility of such treatment being paid in an EU country. Figures I received from the HSE in Ireland showed a reduction of 80% in the number of patients asking for treatment abroad and a further significant reduction of 55% in the number of pati…

12

Mar

2025

GA Speech

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EU Consumers Day: filling the gaps in protecting 440 million consumers in the EU (debate)

Chair, Commissioner, when someone buys a second hand car in Europe, it costs him a lot of money. He hopes that this car will be of good quality. He is not a mechanic and is therefore confident that EU standards will protect him as a consumer. All it takes is a fair price, and more importantly, a safe car. But the black is often brightened in terms of the number of kilometres that the car has burne…

10

Mar

2025

GA Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Every year, thousands of Europeans are placed on long waiting lists of essential organs. Europe is currently covered by different systems and each Member State is in charge of its own transplant arrangements. Some countries have donated programs that are well developed, while others are struggling to meet demand. The survival or not of a patient is often a geography lottery. This is not acceptable…

12

Feb

2025

GA Speech

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Competitiveness Compass (debate)

Dear chairs, over the past two parliamentary periods, red tape has allowed Europe to grow exponentially. We are therefore not competitive. Red tape is increasing costs for small and medium-sized businesses, making it difficult for them to make any profit. Undoubtedly, this is particularly damaging for rural communities that depend on small businesses. According to the CSO, small and medium-sized e…

23

Jan

2025

GA Speech

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Cryptocurrencies - need for global standards (debate)

Mr President, cryptocurrencies. Undoubtedly a major technological development with positive opportunities such as a more inclusive financial system, faster cross-border transactions and revolutionary possibilities through blockchain technology. We should not ignore cryptocurrencies in Europe. However, let us not make this easy. These opportunities pose a real challenge. Price uncertainty, illegal …

17

Dec

2024

GA Speech

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Towards a shared vision for European tourism, its sustainable growth and brand Europe (debate)

Mr President, European tourism must remain competitive. We are very much in competition with the Middle East and Asia. A hotel can be found in Jordan, for example, for less than fifty euros per night, but in Europe, the same hotel could protect EUR 300. In addition, many Member States are adding more tourism taxes on hotel prices. In Portugal, Lisbon doubled its tourism tax from EUR 2.15 to EUR 4.…

17

Dec

2024

GA Speech

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Situation of female politicians in EU candidate and neighbouring countries facing harassment and cyber violence (debate)

Chairman, Commissioner. My Renew Europe group recently organised a social media campaign, which gathered a number of offensive messages against women online, most of them politicians. The results were remarkable. The campaign highlighted hatred, sexism and threats of violence taking place right here in the European Union. We do not need to look outside the EU to find female politicians suffering f…

16

Dec

2024

GA Speech

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Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2023 (debate)

Mr President, ombudsman, friends. Emily O'Reilly, the outgoing Ombudsman. It will not happen again in Europe. As an outstanding and brave journalist, she showed from the outset that she understood the urgent need to hold those in power accountable. Since becoming Europe’s first female Ombudsman, she has created and fostered greater transparency, ethics and better administration at a new and very h…

28

Nov

2024

GA Speech

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Strengthening children’s rights in the EU - 35th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (debate)

Today we have reached thirty-five years of children’s rights thanks to the UN Convention. But what’s the reality in reality? Are we protecting children around the world in every country around the world? More than 11,000 children have been killed in Gaza, Palestine, and more than three thousand of them are under the age of five. Gaza has been described by UNICEF as a graveyard. A cemetery for thou…

23

Oct

2024

GA Speech

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Need to strengthen rail travel and the railway sector in Europe (debate)

Mr President, I welcome the Commission’s action plan on improving European rail services. If we are serious about promoting the rail system, we need to be serious about spending money on it. There is an urgent need to invest in infrastructure and customer experience. There is also a need to increase certainty and frequency of services, as the train is not always faster than the car. In Ireland, fo…

10

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)

A Uachtaráin, I welcome this debate and reiterate Renew Europe's call for a comprehensive mental health strategy for Europe. It's a matter of urgency: 84 million people across the EU have been diagnosed with mental health issues such as anxiety, panic and depression. I know about these issues better than most, having experienced them first-hand with family members and with former clients. These pe…

9

Oct

2024

GA Speech

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Prevention of drug-related crimes, their effect on European citizens and the need for an effective European response (debate)

Mr President, drug dealers in Europe are becoming more sophisticated, smarter, more violent. Thanks to the new technology, they can hide money and move drugs across Europe with ease. The Irish are the largest users of cocaine in Europe, according to last year’s European drug report. As an Irishman, this is a shame for me. MDMA use in Ireland has grown exponentially over the last 10 years and canna…

17

Sep

2024

EN Speech

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Global measures towards social media platforms - Strengthening the role of DSA and protecting democracy and freedom in the online sphere (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner Vestager, fellow MEPs, let's get real here in the real world outside of the Brussels bubble. The Digital Services Act versus tech giants is akin to David versus Goliath. It's regulation versus profit-hungry rebels. The Goliath tech giants devour regulations and self-regulation and compliance for their breakfast. They thrive on enforcement and self-regulation becaus…

16

Sep

2024

EN Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, Madam Commissioner McGuinness, dear colleagues, a chairde uilig atá ag éisteacht, Ireland has a proud tradition of pro-European politics, over 50 plus years. And I call on all the Members of this House in these times of trouble, and we have heard of many problems here this evening, to remain relevant, real, effective, efficient, down to earth. These are values that I espouse in repre…