What Seán spoke about.

20

Jan

2022

EN Speech

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Protection of animals during transport - Protection of animals during transport (Recommendation) (debate)

Madam President, it is entirely right to discuss animal welfare with competent authorities, businesses, civil society, scientists and most importantly our farmers. Farmers are on the front line of many core issues we face today, from climate change to animal welfare. We must not lose sight of the fact that this is a livelihood for millions of people to which farmers are deeply and emotionally comm…

19

Jan

2022

EN Speech

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Situation in Kazakhstan

Mr President, the unprecedented protests in Kazakhstan at the beginning of the year saw some of the deadliest violence in the country’s post-Soviet history. Sparked by an almost 90% jump in car fuel prices in the oil-rich west of the country, protests spread with surprising speed as citizens across the country rose against the regime simultaneously. During clashes, security forces received orders …

19

Jan

2022

EN Speech

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Digital Services Act (continuation of debate)

Mr President, Europe has been a leader in many areas, but in the global digital race we are lagging behind. The world economy is changing, and the digital sector will be pivotal in Europe’s geopolitical standing and will be a key driver of economic growth, and also in helping us to achieve our climate change goals in a manner that ensures prosperity. How businesses, consumers and governments acces…

16

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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The situation in Cuba, namely the cases of José Daniel Ferrer, Lady in White Aymara Nieto, Maykel Castillo, Luis Robles, Félix Navarro, Luis Manuel Otero, Reverend Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, Andy Dunier García and Yunior García Aguilera

Mr President, the peaceful demonstrations that took place in Cuba on 15 November were a courageous effort to force the communist government to make a democratic change. This call for Cuba to transition to a more open civil society has been invigorated recently by a number of factors: namely, the widespread hardship brought about by the pandemic; a surge in the use of social media bringing together…

16

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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An EU ban on the use of wild animals in circuses (debate)

Mr President, I’m always sceptical about the introduction of bans, especially by politicians who aren’t directly affected by them. I had the same idea about this, but then I looked at the situation in reality. I found out, for instance, that Fossett’s, a great Irish circus that has been touring for over 130 years, did not oppose a ban on wild animals being introduced in 2018 in Ireland as they had…

15

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 16-17 December 2021 - The EU's response to the global resurgence of Covid-19 and the new emerging Covid variants (debate)

Mr President, the emergence of new variants has caused much worry. Yes, it has been almost two years since COVID-19 emerged, but it has also been two years of experience and lessons learned. President Ursula von der Leyen has said that we need to be prepared to act quickly and that we need to have the right tools in place for the public. This could not be more true. More than ever, we need a stron…

14

Dec

2021

GA Speech

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European Year of Youth 2022 (debate)

Mr President, youth is a time for friendship, education, recreation, exploration and development. For almost two years, instead, we have asked our young people to stay at home to protect themselves and the rest of society, and they have stayed. We have all suffered, but young people have suffered the most in some ways. Now, as we face the future, we have to make every effort to ensure that the nex…

13

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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Implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (short presentation)

Madam President, while I am very pleased to speak this evening on this very important file, I must say that I am a bit disappointed that there isn’t a full debate, and especially that the shadow rapporteurs haven’t had an opportunity to contribute as the cooperation I got from them in this report was as good as I’ve witnessed since I came here in 2009. And especially, of course, as the renovation …

25

Nov

2021

EN Speech

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The human rights situation in Cameroon

Madam President, in recent months, the Anglophone crisis has entered a new phase with a drastic escalation of violence in the English speaking regions. Having acquired more sophisticated weapons, clashes between Anglophone separatist groups and Francophone government security forces have increased in frequency and severity. Furthermore, a total lack of investigation and prosecution for crimes comm…

25

Nov

2021

EN Speech

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The International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and the State of play on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention (continuation of debate)

Mr President, violence against women can take many forms, from coercive control to physical abuse. Earlier this month, my colleagues and I were delighted to welcome Sarah Benson of Women’s Aid Ireland to the European Parliament. The charity was a very deserving recipient of the 2021 European Citizen’s Prize, in recognition of the frontline support that they have provided since the outbreak of COVI…

22

Nov

2021

EN Speech

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EU sports policy: assessment and possible ways forward (debate)

Madam President, I love sport for sport’s sake. But sport is an important economic sector in the EU also – over 2% of the Union’s GDP in fact. While this should not be forgotten, sport has a more significant role to play in society beyond GDP. I think this has been made even more apparent since the start of the pandemic. As a former president of the Gaelic Athletic Association, an Irish internatio…

21

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The proposal to build a ‘single market for philanthropy’ (debate)

Mr President, philanthropy is an important vehicles for supporting and advancing many of the core values of the European Union institutions. Indeed, philanthropy plays a key role in helping to support and uphold community cohesion and our shared values across the European Union. Many individuals alongside charitable and philanthropic organisations support endeavours from which we all benefit, incl…

21

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The outcome of the Western Balkans summit (continuation of debate)

Mr President, Ireland joined the EU in 1973, forever changing our country for the better, economically and socially. We have graduated from being a benefactor to a contributor and we are proud to do so, as the rising tide lifts all boats. Having benefited hugely from being a part of this Union, we embraced enlargement of the EU – provided, of course, that candidate countries share our values and m…

20

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, the UK (COP26) (continuation of debate)

Mr President, the UN climate summit in Glasgow is just around the corner, and it is disappointing to hear that expectations for progress are low, even in the year when the effects of climate change are so apparent. We’ve seen floods, hurricanes, wildfires and killer heatwaves growing in frequency and intensity with spiralling impacts on economies and societies. The cost of adaptation in the future…

20

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021 (debate)

Madam President, we often say in the EU that the future is green and digital, but we cannot take these transformations for granted. Therefore, I was pleased to see both issues high on the agenda of the Council once again. The recent rise in energy prices is, of course, of huge concern. This is a global problem, but Europe has been particularly exposed due to a combination of factors. We must reach…

19

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (debate)

Mr President, I empathise with disillusioned Polish citizens who have bravely taken to the streets in protest at the actions of the Polish Government and repeated here today by you, Mr Prime Minister. It affects us all. Comparisons to the German Constitutional Court are being used as a smokescreen. In real terms, what you are saying is that the executive in Poland is above the judiciary. Correct m…

7

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The case of Paul Rusesabagina in Rwanda

Mr President, April 2021 marks the 27th year since the Rwandan genocide, one of the first genocide atrocities in history. I’m appalled to see the steady increase of repression and blatant disregard for human life exhibited by the government of Rwanda. The trial and recent sentencing of Rwanda critic and political opponent Paul Rusesabagina is emblematic of the government’s manipulation of the just…

7

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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Human rights situation in Myanmar, including the situation of religious and ethnic groups

Mr President, the events of 1 February this year turned the clock back on the steady process of democratic transition in Myanmar. Since the coup, as the authors have pointed out, an estimated 1 120 people have been killed, including at least 75 children. Military authorities have arrested over 8 000 people, including hundreds of politicians, activists and civil servants. The human rights record in…

6

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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European solutions to the rise of energy prices for businesses and consumers: the role of energy efficiency and renewable energy and the need to tackle energy poverty (debate)

Madam President, understanding the future of energy systems is extremely challenging, and as policy makers, we must not sell simpler narratives to win public support. We have a responsibility to every citizen to work in their best interests, and that means switching to clean energy – but it also means keeping the lights on in the meantime with transitional fuels. The solution is the accelerated de…

5

Oct

2021

GA Speech

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The situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression (continuation of debate)

Mr President, last May, the European Union took a strong stance against the Lukashenka regime when we imposed a package of sanctions on him. Now, he wants to put pressure on us as a revenge. We awarded the Sakharov Prize to the democratic opposition in Belarus in 2020. We have a responsibility to the winners of this award. We are not going to surrender to Lukashenka. The opposition in Belarus has …

5

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The future of EU-US relations (debate)

Mr President, Europe and the United States have always been allies, but it is no secret that, under Donald Trump, with the US acting more unilaterally, this friendship became much more difficult manage. With President Biden, a man who believes in multilateral solutions, there is a renewed sense of hope for improved relations. The US is in the process of redefining itself on the international stage…

16

Sep

2021

GA Speech

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EU transparency in the development, purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines (debate)

President, as President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday, a year ago we did not know when COVID-19 vaccines would be available, or even if we would be able to develop ones at all. But thanks to EU research, collaboration and funding, today we have a very successful vaccination campaign, and we have shared half of the vaccines we have produced with the rest of the world. Of course, the EU and th…

16

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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The situation in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya

Madam President, Kenya’s Kakuma camp is currently a permanent home to more than 200 000 refugees and asylum seekers, coming mainly from the border regions plagued by conflict and growing instability. The camp provides a safe haven for many people forcibly displaced from their countries as a result of persecution, human rights violations, conflict, etc. It has notably served as a place of refuge to…

16

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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The case of human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor in UAE

Madam President, although the United Arab Emirates (UAE) portrays itself as a tolerant and rights-respecting country, the plight of Ahmed Mansoor, the country’s most celebrated human rights activist, portrays a different image. Ahmed Mansoor is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for posts on social media about human rights violations. He has been confined to an isolation cell since his ar…

15

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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State of the Union (debate)

Madam President, congratulations to the President of the Commission on a very fine speech: one hour in duration during which she didn’t drop a note, so to speak. I think it is only right that you should refer to COVID—19 and the successful vaccine deployment in the EU, the need to be prepared for future pandemics, and the EU’s help to third countries. I was also encouraged to hear your words on di…