What Seán spoke about.

6

Feb

2024

EN Speech

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Quality traineeships in the EU (debate)

A Uachtaráin, a Choimisinéir, quality traineeships play a pivotal role in integrating young people into the labour market. The transition from education to employment is fraught with difficulties for our youth, and it is imperative that we address these obstacles collectively. Despite progress in recent years, there remain significant hurdles. Notably, the number of young individuals gaining long …

5

Feb

2024

EN Speech

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State of EU solar industry in light of unfair competition (debate)

Madam President, solar energy is becoming increasingly important in Europe’s energy transition, with the scale of deployment surprising many experts. There were 20GW of new EU solar installations in 2020, doubling to 40 in 2022. Last year, as Commissioner Mairead McGuinness pointed out, Europe installed 56GW of solar capacity. Very impressive. This success is extremely welcome, but we cannot expec…

5

Feb

2024

EN Speech

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Instant payments in euro (debate)

A Uachtaráin, a Choimisinéir Mairead agus Deirdre ó Chorcaigh, the world of banking has evolved as technology becomes more advanced. While there is and should continue to be a place for cash payments in today’s society, the reality is that personal and business finance has become more and more digitised. Instant transfer banking, such as Revolut, has become very popular for a reason. The nature an…

18

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and future perspectives (debate)

A Uachtaráin, at the recent Parliamentary Partnership Assembly meeting in the House of Commons we discussed fisheries, and we’ll be making recommendations as a result. One of the points that came across clearly was that Irish fishers, both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, have lost out heavily as a result of Brexit, and we will make recommendations as to how that can be amended. Al…

17

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Geothermal energy (debate)

A Uachtaráin, as our rapporteur, the esteemed professor and the Commissioner said, geothermal energy is a tremendous yet often-overlooked resource. It is the local, secure and renewable energy source that can play a pivotal role in decarbonising the heating sector and meeting our climate and energy goals in certain areas. The heating sector, responsible for half of Europe’s energy demand, is a maj…

17

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Situation in Serbia following elections (debate)

Madam President, I was never in Serbia, but my former assistant, Jelena Radaković, was from Serbia, so I have an interest in it, and I am pleased that we are now in a position where we can analyse the elections. Hopefully the report will be positive because I think enlargement as such for the EU is a very good thing. But also the hope of acceding to the European Union one day sets in train reforms…

17

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Improving the socio-economic situation of farmers and rural areas, ensuring fair incomes, food security as well as a just transition (debate)

A Uachtaráin, I think, first of all, I am very pleased with the support the farmers are getting from my group, the EPP. We see ourselves as the farmers’ party, but at the same time, farmers themselves feel not just not loved, but sometimes not appreciated and in some respects marginalised. And it isn’t Fit for 55 that’s the problem – it is the implementation of it and not getting recognition for t…

17

Jan

2024

EN Answer

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and preparation of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 - Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds (joint debate - European Council meetings)

Thank you very much for your question. No, I don’t, and I recall when Viktor Orbán and his party were part of our group, myself and a former MEP from Sweden, Gunnar Hökmark, were one of the first to say that his behaviour was totally unacceptable. I’m glad that found favour eventually with the EPP and he left us. We’re better off without him and Europe would be better off without him as well. As I…

17

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and preparation of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 - Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds (joint debate - European Council meetings)

A Uachtaráin, 2024 will be the year of democracy, with consequential elections taking place all across the world. Yet we cannot celebrate this expansive democratic exercise while a democratic country in Europe is being bombarded and devastated by a power-hungry totalitarian. I have major concerns about the ongoing situation in Ukraine and the hurdles we face in securing the much-needed EUR 50 bill…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Amendments to the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR) (A9-0040/2023 - Danuta Maria Hübner)

A Uachtaráin, in the wake of the economic setbacks brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and the need to stimulate more investment activity in the EU, I welcome the amendments to the Markets in Financial Instruments regulation. An EU-wide consolidated tape for financial markets, instruments and targeted changes to market structure will strengthen transparency and competitiveness in the financial …

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Fluorinated gases regulation (A9-0048/2023 - Bas Eickhout)

A Uachtaráin, regulating fluorinated greenhouse gases is an essential step in ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks of the European Green Deal. These greenhouse gases are human-made chemicals that are often several thousand times stronger than carbon dioxide. The prohibition of greenhouse gases has a proven successful track record in reducing damage to our ozone layer, and this regulation…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Ozone depleting substances (A9-0050/2023 - Jessica Polfjärd)

A Uachtaráin, the recovery of the ozone layer following the adoption of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987 was a triumph for humans in the face of climate change. It gave us hope that with good governance it is not too late to turn around our current trajectory towards climate catastrophe. It is time for us to act in the name of the planet once again and not l…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Implementation of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) (short presentation)

A Uachtaráin, well done to the rapporteur. I remember the joy that was in my group, the EPP, the night CETA was passed here in the European Parliament, by the biggest vote in favour of a trade agreement ever at that time. And of course, subsequently it has had provisional application. However, I was disappointed, like my colleagues in Fine Gael in Ireland, and others as well, that the Supreme Cour…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Building a comprehensive European port strategy (short presentation)

Mr President, firstly, thanks to my colleague Tom for doing great work in this area. Ports are absolutely vital for our economy, in terms of trade but, as he pointed out, especially for a decarbonised economy where we’re going to have a huge amount of offshore wind, and we need to develop our ports. But he is absolutely right: we need to ensure that we control and own our ports, and this is not th…

16

Jan

2024

GA Speech

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Fight against the resurgence of neo-fascism in Europe, also based on the parade that took place in Rome on 7 January (debate)

Mr President, we should have this debate today because the paradigm in Rome at the beginning of this month cannot be ignored promoting neo-fascism, and I am glad that most of the Members here have condemned this paradise and fascism. We need to do more than criticize it, especially we need to do more to respect everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from and perhaps we should focus mo…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2022 (debate)

A Uachtaráin, firstly, as an Irish person, I am very pleased and proud of the work of Ombudsman O’Reilly. For a number of years now, she’s been doing her job in a very impartial, professional manner with – as has been admitted – limited resources and, of course, as has been pointed out, she has worked very closely with the European Parliament, especially the Petitions Committee. Both the Petitions…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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

A Uachtaráin, the atrocities committed on 7 October by Hamas against innocent civilians were entirely repugnant. But what we are seeing now has entered another stratosphere in terms of ordinary people – men, women and children – being killed, starved or left homeless. There have been many comments in this debate revolving around geopolitics and strategic interests. Such details and explanations ar…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Keeping commitments and delivering military assistance to Ukraine (debate)

A Uachtaráin, when Putin, without provocation, may I add, invaded Ukraine, he thought it would be all over in a couple of days. It wasn’t, because of the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the support from a united Europe. He hadn’t reckoned with that. Now, he has turned his economy into a war economy, where everything is going into fighting against Ukraine. It doesn’t worry him that over 370 …

14

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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Resumption of the sitting

A Uachtaráin, I just want briefly to bring to the attention of colleagues the sad passing of James Temple-Smithson, Head of the European Parliament Office in Dublin, at the tender age of only 50 years. James was a gentleman, number one, and also hugely respected by his colleagues, and particularly my Irish MEP colleagues. We valued his good work, his enthusiasm for the European project and particu…

14

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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Non-objection mechanisms in international conventions to which the European Union is a party (debate)

A Uachtaráin, the title ‘Non-objection mechanisms in international conventions to which the European Union is a party’ would be very difficult to explain to ordinary citizens, and they would probably see it as Brussels speak. Nevertheless, these issues are necessary, and I would like to compliment the MEPs who have mastered this and the Commission and the Council. And, as has been said, if the Com…

14

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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Ensuring proper functioning of EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes (debate)

Mr President, I agree with my colleagues Mr Kubilius and Ms Šojdrová and others that the Solidarity Lanes are very important. They are a means to help Ukraine, but they must function properly in the interests of farmers in Europe. And as Ms Šojdrová said, maybe we need to look at the efficiency of the lanes and come up with better ways of monitoring, etc., and I would hope that the Commission woul…

14

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

Mr President, COP28 will be looked at from many different perspectives. While personally disappointed not to be there, it sets a clear direction for a sustainable future. It’s the first time in the history of the 28COP summits that fossil-fuel reduction has been mentioned in the final agreement. Yet, unfortunately, it falls short of explicitly mentioning the phasing out of oil, gas and coal. The w…

13

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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

A Uachtaráin, across Europe, young people struggled to secure a roof over their heads and to meet the rising costs of living. Ireland, once known for one of the highest EU homeownership rates, has seen a decline despite near full employment and recent economic growth. Notably, this decline is prominent among younger and lower-income demographics, with less than a third of 30-year-olds owning homes…

12

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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The European Elections 2024 (A9-0332/2023 - Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Sven Simon)

Mr President, the report provides an important framework to convey Parliament's key political messages to strengthen the European dimension of the 2024 European elections, and the process leading up to the election of the President of the Commission. I was happy to vote in favour of this report, as, among other reasons, it introduces measures to facilitate the access to voting for mobile citizens …

12

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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Framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (A9-0260/2023 - Nicola Beer)

Mr President, as the name suggests, critical raw materials play a critical role in making the green transition a reality. I was happy to vote in favour of this report, as the act will allow the EU to more efficiently use the assets we have on our own doorstep, while also reducing our dependence on external industrial powers like China, which we have been debating here for the last hour. I welcome …