Lynn Boylan
Member of the European Parliament · The Left · IE
“Trí chuid den chiste a chinntiú do na Ballstáit, cinnteofar go mbeidh rochtain ag an bpobal ar na healaíona agus ar an gcultúr inár bpobail áitiúla. Is fíordheis é seo chun rochtain ar na healaíona agus ar an gcultúr a chinntiú do phobail ar fud na hEorpa.”
“4-0104-0000 Lynn Boylan (The Left), blue-card answer. – My point was that all the people of Europe – our Dublin as an example – need to invest in its culture because culture is so important.”
“Tá creatlach cultúrtha ár mBaile Átha Cliath á creimeadh, costas maireachtála atá ag dul i méid agus géarchéim tithíochta. Níl sé d'acmhainn ag ár n-ealaíontóirí maireachtáil agus oibriú inár gcathair. Táimid ag cailleadh spásanna ealaíne cosúil le 'The Complex' agus tá óstáin ag glacadh seilbhe ar ár gcathair.”
“– Absolutely, our culture is our language, is our life – as we say in Ireland. We absolutely all need to protect the right for people to speak our language – for the Galicians, the Basques, the Catalans and, likewise, for the Irish. In the committees we need to have full derogation of the Irish language. 4-0107-0000”
“Every new wind farm built in Ireland in recent years has gone straight to data centres, has not displaced gas demand and has added hundreds of euros to electricity bills, according to Friends of the Earth research. A recent UN report also called Ireland a cautionary tale. The Electrification Action Plan must listen to Ireland's tale.”
“A Uachtaráin, the electrification plan action will provide a crucial boost for electrification based on renewables across the EU, and electrification will, of course, not only reduce emissions, but also energy bills by reducing our reliance on volatile fossil fuels.”
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“This Commission is hell bent on funnelling as much public money as possible into the hugely profitable arms industry, while people across Europe are facing a cost-of-living crisis. We must stand up for democratic scrutiny and for public money to be used to address the cost of living, not the needs of ultra wealthy arms companies. 1-0188-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, I welcome that the Parliament is challenging the Commission's use of Article 122 of the TFEU to adopt the SAFE Regulation. The Commission chose this mechanism for the very purpose of bypassing parliamentary scrutiny, and it is a wholly inappropriate mechanism for defence spending. Article 122 is supposed to help Member States in the event of difficulties in the supply of certain products, like energy, or for natural disasters. It is not for the use of defence spending. But it is not the first time that the Commission has done this. They've also wrongly used Article 173 as the legal basis for the ASAP Regulation, which is effectively a EUR 500 million slush fund for the arms industry.”
“It is now time for the British Government to set definitive criteria for a unity referendum. The north of Ireland is a developed region which spent decades in the EU. The next enlargement could be about welcoming back the people of the North. However, I urge caution: an enlarged EU must be one that upholds the values that it claims to hold: that means respect for Member States' foreign policy and their policy of neutrality, and that means respect for international law and human rights. 4-0038-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, I welcome this debate on enlargement, as EU membership is a discussion that's happening in many regions across the continent – regions like the north of Ireland. Here the debate is coupled with the conversation around Irish reunification. This is an oven-ready, straightforward enlargement. The EU Council has already agreed – in the event of Irish reunification – the readmission of the north of Ireland. The conversation on reunification is taking place across the island of Ireland, in both public and private forums. Its special status is already recognised in international agreements. It's only a small step to reintegration into the EU. The conversation on unity has been heightened since the people of the North were forced out of the EU against their will by the Brexit vote.”
“Madam President, on a point of order, the keffiyeh is not a political statement. Is it against the rules of this House to have a Ukrainian flag or a pin on our lapels? Would somebody call on us to remove that? People are more annoyed about symbols than they are about starving babies! 1-0087-0000”
“I'm sorry that EU leaders have refused to enforce the ICC arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the war criminals responsible for the genocide against you. I am sorry that you are starving while a few kilometres away, Zionists dine in the finest restaurants. To the children of Gaza, I am sorry that the EU's complicity and the moral cowardice of our leaders have resulted in your childhoods being stolen, your bodies being starved and broken, and your brutal murder. I want you to know that the public stand with you. We stand with you against the complicity of our leaders. Outside these institutions, people are making it clear they will never accept the normalisation of genocide or the violation of international law. We have not abandoned you. 'Never again' means 'never again' for anyone!”
“Madam President, I stand here today to do what EU leaders won't do, and that is to apologise to the people of Gaza and Palestine. I'm sorry that it has taken tens of thousands of deaths and the imminent death of 14 000 starving babies just so that the European Commission can agree to review an association agreement that should have been suspended years ago. I'm sorry that the EU countries continue to send the bombs and weapons that shred your children to pieces, and that there's no accountability for their complicity in your mass murder. I'm sorry that over a year after the ICJ ruled that there was a credible risk of genocide against your people, EU leaders have failed to agree a single sanction against Israel.”
“You do not stand by while they are shredded to pieces, as they are bombed in tents. And you do not stand by with those who carry out these crimes against humanity. It's time to end the EU complicity! TC "23 - Дневен ред на следващото заседание" \f "1"TC "23 - Orden del día de la próxima sesión" \f "2"TC "23 - Pořad jednání příštího zasedání" \f "3"TC "23 - Dagsorden for næste møde" \f "4"TC "23 - Tagesordnung der nächsten Sitzung" \f "5"TC "23 - Järgmise istungi päevakord" \f "6"TC "23 - Ημερήσια διάταξη της επόμενης συνεδρίασης" \f "7"TC "23 - Agenda of the next sitting" \f "8"TC "23 - Ordre du jour de la prochaine séance" \f "9"TC "23 - Clár oibre an chéad suí eile" \f "A"TC "23 - Dnevni red sljedeće dnevne sjednice" \f "B"TC "23 - Ordine del giorno della prossima seduta" \f "C"TC "23 - Nākamās sēdes darba kārtība" \f "D"TC "23 - Kito posėdžio darbotvarkė" \f "E"TC "23 - A következő ülésnap napirendje" \f "F"TC "23 - L-aġenda tas-seduta li jmiss" \f "G"TC "23 - Agenda van de volgende vergadering" \f "H"TC "23 - Porządek obrad następnego posiedzenia" \f "I"TC "23 - Ordem do dia da próxima sessão" \f "J"TC "23 - Ordinea de zi a următoarei ședințe" \f "K"TC "23 - Program rokovania na nasledujúci deň" \f "L"TC "23 - Dnevni red naslednje seje" \f "M"TC "23 - Seuraavan istunnon esityslista" \f "N"TC "23 - Föredragningslista för nästa sammanträde" \f "O"Ordine del giorno della prossima seduta 3-0566-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, I abstained on the discharge because the attached resolution is totally out of touch with reality. In the last number of days, the Israeli Government has agreed plans to permanently occupy Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, was attacked and the Israeli authorities are carrying out a mass starvation program in Gaza. Food is rotting at the border, while only a number of miles away, children are starving. The Director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Mike Ryan, has said that the world is breaking the bodies and minds of the children in Gaza as a result of the inaction and complicity of many world leaders. The Gaza Freedom Flotilla recognises what EU leaders did not. You do not stand by while children are starving.”
“A Uachtaráin, Commissioner, when it comes to the EU's response to Trump's tariffs, it's essential that all Member States, including smaller ones like Ireland, are taken into consideration. The collective response must be one that protects workers, that funds and encourages upskilling and that does not pursue the same anti-worker, anti-environment, Trump-lite deregulation agenda. We also cannot exploit this crisis to increase LNG imports or to advance trade deals like Mercosur or the ratification of CETA. Deforestation, food laden with chemicals and corporate courts will not protect workers in Europe, but it will protect the profits of the few. Now is the time for fair, sustainable trade, which does not leave us exposed to the whims of oligarchs or serve the interests of corporates.”
“– Le procès-verbal de la séance d’aujourd’hui sera soumis à l’approbation du Parlement demain en début d’après-midi. TC "22 - Закриване на заседанието" \f "1"TC "22 - Cierre de la sesión" \f "2"TC "22 - Ukončení zasedání" \f "3"TC "22 - Hævelse af mødet" \f "4"TC "22 - Schluss der Sitzung" \f "5"TC "22 - Istungi lõpp" \f "6"TC "22 - Λήξη της συνεδρίασης" \f "7"TC "22 - Closure of the sitting" \f "8"TC "22 - Levée de la séance" \f "9"TC "22 - Críoch an tsuí" \f "A"TC "22 - Zatvaranje dnevne sjednice" \f "B"TC "22 - Chiusura della seduta" \f "C"TC "22 - Sēdes slēgšana" \f "D"TC "22 - Posėdžio pabaiga" \f "E"TC "22 - Az ülés berekesztése" \f "F"TC "22 - Għeluq tas-seduta" \f "G"TC "22 - Sluiting van de vergadering" \f "H"TC "22 - Zamknięcie posiedzenia" \f "I"TC "22 - Encerramento da sessão" \f "J"TC "22 - Ridicarea ședinței" \f "K"TC "22 - Skončenie rokovania" \f "L"TC "22 - Zaključek seje" \f "M"TC "22 - Istunnon päättäminen" \f "N"TC "22 - Avslutande av sammanträdet" \f "O"Levée de la séance 3-0522-0000 (La séance est levée à 21h27)”
“– La prochaine séance aura lieu demain, jeudi 3 avril 2025 à 9 heures. L’ordre du jour a été publié. Il est disponible sur le site internet du Parlement européen. TC "21 - Одобряване на протокола от настоящото заседание" \f "1"TC "21 - Aprobación del Acta de la presente sesión" \f "2"TC "21 - Schválení zápisu z tohoto denního zasedání" \f "3"TC "21 - Godkendelse af protokollen fra dette møde" \f "4"TC "21 - Genehmigung des Protokolls der laufenden Sitzung" \f "5"TC "21 - Käesoleva istungi protokolli kinnitamine" \f "6"TC "21 - Έγκριση των Συνοπτικών Πρακτικών της παρούσας συνεδρίασης" \f "7"TC "21 - Approval of the minutes of the sitting" \f "8"TC "21 - Approbation du procès-verbal de la présente séance" \f "9"TC "21 - Formheas mhiontuairiscí an tsuí" \f "A"TC "21 - Usvajanje zapisnika s aktualne dnevne sjednice" \f "B"TC "21 - Approvazione del processo verbale della presente seduta" \f "C"TC "21 - Šīs sēdes protokola apstiprināšana" \f "D"TC "21 - Šio posėdžio protokolo tvirtinimas" \f "E"TC "21 - Az aktuális ülésnap jegyzőkönyvének jóváhagyása" \f "F"TC "21 - Approvazzjoni tal-minuti tas-seduta li għaddejja" \f "G"TC "21 - Goedkeuring van de notulen van deze vergadering" \f "H"TC "21 - Zatwierdzenie protokołu bieżącego posiedzenia" \f "I"TC "21 - Aprovação da ata da presente sessão" \f "J"TC "21 - Aprobarea procesului-verbal al prezentei ședințe" \f "K"TC "21 - Schválenie zápisnice z dnešného rokovania" \f "L"TC "21 - Sprejetje zapisnika te seje" \f "M"TC "21 - Tämän istunnon pöytäkirjan hyväksyminen" \f "N"TC "21 - Justering av protokollet från detta sammanträde" \f "O"Approbation du procès-verbal de la présente séance 3-0520-0000 Le Président.”
“TC "20 - Дневен ред на следващото заседание" \f "1"TC "20 - Orden del día de la próxima sesión" \f "2"TC "20 - Pořad jednání příštího zasedání" \f "3"TC "20 - Dagsorden for næste møde" \f "4"TC "20 - Tagesordnung der nächsten Sitzung" \f "5"TC "20 - Järgmise istungi päevakord" \f "6"TC "20 - Ημερήσια διάταξη της επόμενης συνεδρίασης" \f "7"TC "20 - Agenda of the next sitting" \f "8"TC "20 - Ordre du jour de la prochaine séance" \f "9"TC "20 - Clár oibre an chéad suí eile" \f "A"TC "20 - Dnevni red sljedeće dnevne sjednice" \f "B"TC "20 - Ordine del giorno della prossima seduta" \f "C"TC "20 - Nākamās sēdes darba kārtība" \f "D"TC "20 - Kito posėdžio darbotvarkė" \f "E"TC "20 - A következő ülésnap napirendje" \f "F"TC "20 - L-aġenda tas-seduta li jmiss" \f "G"TC "20 - Agenda van de volgende vergadering" \f "H"TC "20 - Porządek obrad następnego posiedzenia" \f "I"TC "20 - Ordem do dia da próxima sessão" \f "J"TC "20 - Ordinea de zi a următoarei ședințe" \f "K"TC "20 - Program rokovania na nasledujúci deň" \f "L"TC "20 - Dnevni red naslednje seje" \f "M"TC "20 - Seuraavan istunnon esityslista" \f "N"TC "20 - Föredragningslista för nästa sammanträde" \f "O"Ordre du jour de la prochaine séance 3-0518-0000 Le Président.”
“A better Europe is possible, one envisaged from 75 years ago, one that is committed to peace and one that defends the international institutions that were born out of the war – those institutions like the ICJ, the ICC and the UN.”
“A Uachtaráin, I voted against this report because it shows just how committed European leaders are to militarisation and the arms race. The EU is founded as a peace project. Indeed, in the Schuman Declaration, it was said that the pooling of coal and steel production will change the destinies of those regions which have long been devoted to the manufacture of munitions of war, of which they have been the most constant victims. Now we have European countries withdrawing from the Cluster Munitions Convention and the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention. In their desperation to give more and more public money to the arms industry, European leaders will next propose cutting public services.”
“Under the EU's watch, Israel has normalised genocide and contempt for international law. When will the EU find its humanity and stand up to this rogue state. Sanction Israel, free Palestine! 2-0186-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, I'd like to welcome VP Kallas here today, given her notable absence at recent debates. And today I want to compare what Israel says with what Israel does, seeing as the Commission is unable to make that distinction. Israel claims it facilitates humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Yet all entry points into Gaza are closed for cargo since early March. At the border, food is rotting, medicine is expiring and vital medical equipment is trapped. Israel originally denied bombing the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital. It has now attacked all hospitals in Gaza. Israel denies targeting journalists, yet they've killed over 200 journalists in Gaza. Israel denies killing humanitarian workers, yet they've murdered 15 paramedics and aid workers one by one and buried them in a shallow grave, some of them with their hands bound.”
“Madam President, I've been listening to the whole debate, and I've heard a lot of colleagues talk about defending democracy and about the need to join an EU army, but I would like to ask them, what about Ireland's democracy? What about our right to be a neutral country? Because repeatedly, Irish citizens have rejected any form of EU common security and defence or EU army, both at Nice and at Lisbon treaties. They rejected those treaties on that basis, and consistently polling data shows that 75% of the Irish population support our position of neutrality. So I ask colleagues who are calling for NATO, who are calling for EU armies, what about Ireland's respect for our democracy and our democratic wishes to remain a neutral country and to not have our cohesion funds slashed and burned for the arms industry of Europe?”
“The most recent poll shows that 75 % of Irish people support our continued neutrality. Yet the Irish Government seems determined to throw its lot in with the EU, to undermine our neutrality at every turn, while the EU is engaging in an arms race. It's time to save the triple lock. 1-0216-0000”
“Madam President, as the EU commits itself to a dangerous policy of rearmament, which is only going to make the world more dangerous, the Irish Government is also getting ready to jettison our triple lock on the deployment of Irish troops. Let us be very clear: Ireland's neutrality and our long-standing commitment to UN peacekeeping missions has made the world safer. It is attacks on the UN and on neutrality that is making the world less safe. From our role in leading negotiations on the Treaty of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to being the only country to have an unbroken record of UN peacekeeping service since 1958, Ireland's neutrality has been a beacon in this world. The cynical moves to scrap the triple lock will move us away from the UN and threatens Ireland's neutrality.”
“A Chathaoirligh, maraíodh 196 dhuine as a dtalamh, a gcearta agus a gcomhshaol a chosaint in 2023. Fuair 245 oibrí teicstíle bás an áit oibre i 2021. Gach bliain, maraítear os cionn 200 duine i dtimpistí mianadóireachta sa DRC. Bhí seans ag an CSDDD dul i ngleic le sáruithe ar chearta an duine agus scriosadh an chomhshaoil. Ach má laghdaímid na dualgais ar chomhlachtaí móra, tugaimid cluas bhodhar do mholtaí na Náisiún Aontaithe maidir lena ngnó agus cearta an duine. Tá Sinn Féin ag iarraidh an téip dhearg agus na costais do chomhlachtaí beaga a laghdú nuair is féidir, ach ní aontaímid le dí-rialachán. Go simplí, téann an pacáiste Omnibus seo siar ar chearta an duine go seasaimid go léir leis an dlí seo againn maidir le gnó agus cearta an duine. 1-0116-0000”
“This all took place on the same day that the EU-Israel Association Council was taking place, and EU leaders were committing themselves to continue business as usual with Israel, while the Israeli authorities were not allowing us, as elected officials, to do our jobs. So I ask you, Madam President, that you address this matter urgently. 1-0025-0000”
“Madam President, I wish to raise a point of order relating to the agenda item on the deteriorating situation in Gaza. On February 24, the official mission of this Parliament's delegation for relations with Palestine, of which I am the Chair, was supposed to take place. Instead, myself, Rima Hassan, MEP, and two officials of this Parliament were detained by the Israeli authorities and subsequently deported. While detained by the Israeli authorities, our electronic devices held by Members and staff of the delegation were confiscated for over 90 minutes. Our passports, including an Irish diplomatic passport, were confiscated and were not returned to us until we arrived back in Brussels.”
“From a public health point of view, does the Commission seriously believe that people in Europe want to eat food that is produced with chemicals that have been banned for years? I'm calling on people to protect the people, protect the planet and stop this rotten trade deal. 4-0050-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, Mercosur is a rotten trade deal that's widely opposed by the public across Europe and they're not buying what the Commission is trying to sell. Irish beef farmers are already struggling to be viable and this deal will push them over the edge. It's also, as others have said, a massive step backwards on our climate commitments. The Commission has blatantly set aside our climate and biodiversity commitments to push through a deal that will increase emissions and deforestation. This is a bad deal for people and planet with carve-outs for the Mercosur countries on the EUDR. This deal is a license to continue killing the Amazon forest. It will paralyse future environmental legislation, giving Mercosur countries the power to challenge EU environmental measures, which will have a devastating, chilling effect.”
“So I hope that what I have heard this morning is not an indication that we are going to do a race to the bottom, and especially not a race to the bottom on animal welfare. 3-0098-0000”
“Madam President, I also want to raise the issue of animal welfare. During the European elections, millions of voters called for a review and reform of animal welfare, including the ECI 'End the Cage Age'. Yet the Work Programme makes very little reference to nature or animals. All morning this debate has been about deregulation, and I sincerely hope that this will not apply to animal welfare. In June, horrific footage emerged from Shannonside Abattoir in Ireland of horses being beaten and desperately mistreated. The EU needs to enforce and enhance its animal welfare, especially in slaughterhouses. But across the Atlantic we are seeing calls for deregulation in meatpacking and slaughterhouses.”
“A Uachtaráin, as we see the EU become more transactional globally, we are witnessing a massive step backwards in our global relationships. The binary debate between tariffs or more of the same neoliberal trade agendas reveals the stunning shortsightedness of EU trade policy. What we need is sustainable, socially just trade which protects workers and our planet, not trade at all costs. Decades of structural adjustment programmes and forced liberalisation of developing economies has been a disaster for many countries in the Global South.”
“As with the climate negotiations, we see the insidious presence of fossil-fuel lobbyists growing as attempts at multilateral actions fail. We have to kick these big polluters out so that the negotiators can focus on real solutions to plastic pollution and put the public interest first. 3-0268-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, the failure of the latest round of negotiations on the global plastic treaty has caused worldwide disappointment. Yet there are those who would see no action to reduce plastic pollution at source: the fossil fuel and chemical companies who produce it. There were 220 fossil fuel and chemical lobbyists registered for the negotiations in Busan ‑ more than all the negotiators for the EU and Member States combined, and it outnumbered the independent scientists 3 to 1. Among them, were some of Europe’s biggest companies, like BASF, Dow, Exxon and Ineos, represented by trade associations like Plastics Europe and CEFIC. These are the very companies and associations that are now calling for environmental deregulation and public subsidies under the Industrial Deal.”