Ciaran Mullooly
Member of the European Parliament · Renew · IE
“Madam President, Commissioner, this planned reform of common fisheries policy is not just a test for fisheries, in my mind. It is a test for fairness and trust in Europe. As a result of Brexit, Irish fishermen lost quota, and boats were decommissioned.”
“Madam President, Taoiseach, one of your priorities for Ireland's Presidency is to strengthen Europe's competitiveness while protecting balanced regional development.”
“And if there is to be a right to stay at issue in the regions of Ireland, then we need a common agricultural policy which gives all of our farmers a livelihood going forward – the small farmers and the large ones. That must be your legacy, Taoiseach, from this presidency. 2-0135-0000”
“Madam President, the European Union is facing one of the most serious food security challenges in modern times. Nobody doubts this now. The war in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and rising oil, gas, fuel and fertiliser costs are directly threatening food production across Europe.”
“I say to you, Commissioner – and I think you'll get this because you're from a farming background – the problem is not the long term. I think your solutions will work in the long term. The problem is the short term: next winter. Last winter they bought the fertiliser in advance before the CBAM came in. They had stocked up.”
“Mr President, 700 000 people die every year from sepsis in the EU, and 3 000 deaths in Ireland are linked to this condition: that's eight deaths per day in a very small country. Sepsis is a medical emergency and requires immediate hospitalisation, yet some people are still blissfully unaware of it – they don't recognise it.”
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“We saw it in my own constituency and – Commissioner, I read this point to you as well about the role of the habitats act – sometimes we do not deal with the flooding because it is protected. The land is protected. People must come first. I agree with my colleagues from Spain from today: people must come first. 3-0337-0000”
“Jungtinėse Tautose prieš 50 metų buvo paskelbta, kad Žemė kaista – klimato atšilimas. Ir kad 2025 metais Europa dėl to, kad tirpsta ledynai, bus po vandeniu. Bet prieš 10 metų pamatė, kad nepaskendo Europa, tai paskelbė, kad vyksta klimato kaita. Aš noriu paklausti, ar jūs prieš tai, kad nebūtų vasaros ir žiemos, nakties ir dienos? Už ką jūs? Kad būtų visada vasara ar žiema? 3-0336-0000 Ciaran Mullooly (Renew), blue-card answer. – I am in favour of the meteorological services, the professional services who tell us today: 'There will be rain – and severe rain – in your Member State on Friday'. I am critical of people who do not respond to this. I do not care whether or not it is a modern activity, whether it is a once-off flood or a major event. The critical thing is lives are being lost.”
“He said clearly, when they see from the weather instruments there might be a catastrophe looming, the mechanism can be pre-activated, meaning the emergency teams from throughout Europe can go directly to an area under threat before the storm, before the rain, and go on standby, ready to be deployed. Whether it's Spain, or along the Shannon Callows in County Offaly, or indeed any potential blackspot for flooding. So we must wake up to use these supports from Europe. Member States must trigger the alarm earlier and take more precautions or more will die and more land will be damaged. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question) 3-0335-0000 Petras Gražulis (ESN), pakėlus mėlynąją kortelę pateiktas klausimas. – Daugiau kaip prieš 80 metų dalis mokslininkų skelbė, kad Žemė šąla.”
“Mr President, there can be no doubt about the scale of the tragedy that hit the people of Valencia this time last year. Our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones in the floods. But one has to ask critical questions about the response of the Spanish authorities and, indeed, the reaction of the so-called 'European crisis machine'. Where was it? The failure of the early warning system is responsible for the damage done in severe weather events like this. Prevention measures are essential. I raised this directly with Commissioner Lahbib when she came before the Parliament and Marco Panigalli, the head of the Commission's Civil Protection Emergency Response Capabilities unit, admitted it.”
“Occasionally, we see nowadays reports showing BMW cars and Mercedes cars and gold Rolex watches being taken away from mansions where these guys – these thugs – live. But it's not enough. We need to see more, Commissioner. We need to see swifter and more powerful legislation across borders in Europe. There can be no hiding place for these thugs. We must go after those who flaunt their ill-gotten gains, because we cannot give into intimidation. 2-0418-0000”
“Mr President, Commissioner, when I first saw the charred remains of the car in front of the home of journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, my mind went back to 26 June 1996, when the Irish investigative journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered in her car in a contract killing in Dublin, ordered by a Dublin-based drug cartel. I knew her well. She fought for investigative journalism throughout her career, even after she was first shot in the leg. When I met her, she said she would never give up her investigative work. She continued until the day she died. In the aftermath of her murder, the Irish Government responded to a public outcry against this attack on the freedom of the press, and created a new Criminal Assets Bureau with the legal power to seize assets that are clearly the assets of criminals, and the result of their crimes.”
“When is the European Commission and the Irish Government going to realise that energy prices must be cut urgently? Industry can't wait for Russian gas to end or the super grid to be set up. We need to move now before thousands of other jobs are lost. 1-0183-0000”
“Mr President, two human stories for you this evening, President, one common theme: the crisis facing industry due to the extortionate price of energy in Europe, costing thousands of jobs. In my constituency in Ireland, Alex Armstrong from Kildare town has worked in the hospitality industry since he was 16 years old. He worked hard in the kitchens, weekends, bank holidays. But he doesn't do it anymore because Strong's Café in Kildare is closing down on 16 November because of overheads, crippling energy costs and more. It's no longer sustainable. Joan is in her 70s; she's worked with her husband in a busy engineering business in the Midlands since 1968. She told me she's at the end of her tether because electricity companies, she says, have robbed them. The bills went from EUR 2 500 per month to EUR 10 000 per month.”
“The Commission has launched an infringement procedure against Ireland and we patiently await its outcome. Commissioner Séjourné, get this sorted out. Get on with this, or lives will be lost – and I will hold you and the Irish Government responsible if that happens. 1-0225-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, the scandal of defective concrete blocks in Ireland is not just about bricks and mortar and faulty EU regulation by the Irish Government. It's a clear and present danger to thousands of men, women and children living in County Donegal and in more than 20 other counties around Ireland. I witnessed a catastrophe unfolding myself before my own eyes when I visited these homes. Couples sleeping on couches in the only room of the house not destroyed by dampness and mould. Houses that are falling apart with cracked walls, unstable roofs, and families living in fear. Denise Grant and her family are trying to rebuild their family home in the depth of this trauma – the unrelenting crisis for them, and with continuous and never-ending stress. They told me about it.”
“I say we must return to the core purpose of CAP: supporting sustainable food production for consumers. Food security also means generational renewal, and I know you will deliver on this, but I say it to you: new entrants and retiring farmers need strong, targeted incentives at both EU and national level, and I say specifically a CAP package for new entrants that includes at least the minimum, industrial wage so they will stay on the farm. 4-0057-0000”
“Madam President, Mr Commissioner, when we speak about the future of agriculture, some suggest only viable professional farmers should receive EU funding. But I cannot agree, because in 2023 only 27 % of Irish farmers met that definition. I say so because I reject that approach, because that's where I'm from. I'm from the centre of a country where arable farmland shares the landscape with peat land, which cannot be farmed. So part-time farmers are a part of the landscape, that is the way it is. We have both an opportunity and a responsibility to secure their future, because when my late brother farmed that land, he also prepared cattle for the factory, he also was part of the food chain, he played his part. The CAP budget must be stabilised. We must look at this issue of investment with the same urgency as we do with the EU defence budget.”
“They say their lives, their homes and their farming livelihoods and even the designated conservation areas are under threat. So, they want joined-up thinking, Commissioner. They want the Commission and the Irish Government to work together with all the agencies. They do not want a 'pass the box' – somebody saying, 'It is not my job to put up the signs, to speak to the tourists. It is not my job to speak to the farmers.' We ask for a joined-up approach, support the people of Achill in County Mayo. 3-0382-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner Lahbib, the people of Ireland will not forget what you did for them when Storm Éowyn hit our shores last January. Your emergency response mechanism sent 18 industrial generators to Ireland. The lights came back; the water came back. Our government will hopefully learn to trigger that mechanism earlier. Fortunately, we do not have widespread wildfires in Ireland, but the small coastal community of Achill in County Mayo certainly has an issue. In the last three years, they've had 12 wildfires, three of them so far this year. And indeed, their village was evacuated last year. They want to speak to you and to the Commission about a new policy, a strategy to deal with the situation – a national farm and land management strategy.”
“An assessment under the Habitats Directive was never a part of this process up to now, it was never needed. Farmers need clarity. I'm calling on the Irish Agriculture Minister to engage with the Commissioner and seek clear, concise guidelines and stop this ridiculous charade that's going on before the Commission moves the goalposts again. 1-0203-0000”
“Madam President, we're waiting for the final text of the unfair Mercosur agreement. In the wings of this building, there's talk among some countries of a side deal, a magical clause that will somehow pacify farmers in France or in Italy, and some Irish MEPs are looking for a get-out-of-jail free card of their own as well to try and save face and votes at home. But Irish farmers will see through this, Chair. No form of words or special accord will be accepted by our livestock farmers whose livelihood is threatened by those who use illegal drugs on their herd, and they're getting away with it. The job of Irish farmers is getting tougher – after months of diligent work on water quality aimed at retaining our Nitrates Directive comes yet another demand.”
“We must demand unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, including food and medicine. We can do these things even outside of the Council. Mobilise EU resources immediately to assist relief efforts on the ground, and we must demand that Israel provide meaningful cooperation, not just rhetoric, to avoid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. History will judge how we respond to that this moment. Some people in this House should be ashamed of what they haven't done so far. We must not be found wanting. 3-0186-0000”
“Madam President, High Representative Kallas, President van der Leyen must clarify her recent remarks to the Prime Minister of Israel. Specifically, what does she mean, the right to defend oneself? What are the boundaries of that right? Because what we're witnessing in Gaza is not self-defence. It's the deliberate starvation of women and children. It's the obstruction of humanitarian aid, food, water and medical supplies to an entire population. Even as the mother, as a former doctor, she knows what she's doing. This is the this is the result of her words. As Members of this Parliament, we cannot remain silent, ladies and gentlemen, we must take a stance. The European Union has a moral duty, not just a diplomatic option, to intervene for the sake of the people.”
“They would immediately free up EUR 1 billion for lending to families, small businesses, farmers and for building affordable homes. Imagine what it would do. People like Tom Allen in Mullingar, a credit union, could put young couples on the first rung of the ladder for houses for the first time, so we need to get our credit unions the tools they need to invest in their future and strengthen our communities. I appeal for reform here, reform this 10 % reserve rule and start that investment. 1-0228-0000”
“Mr President, we're in a housing crisis, so we're told. In Ireland and in Europe we need simple, straightforward reforms. Currently, the credit union sector in Ireland have EUR 22 billion in assets, just EUR 7 billion in loans given out. They want to lend out more for housing and other things. But under current central Bank of Ireland rules, credit unions must hold 10 % of the value of any investment in Irish government bonds as a capital reserve. This is despite the fact that under EU banking regulations, government bonds are considered zero‑risk assets and require no such capital buffer. If our Irish regulations were to be aligned with EU norms and this reserve requirement were to be removed, credit unions could redirect billions into domestic investment.”
“We know that food inflation hits hardest those who least can afford it, the lower paid, the disadvantaged, so at European level we must be honest about this. We must look at all the key contributing factors to food inflation. We know energy costs and conflict can play a role, but part of the cost pressure is driven by the rush to implement climate targets in unrealistic timescales. Well intentioned they may be, but our aim must be to strike a balance between environmental responsibility and economic affordability. Food security and the cost of living cannot be sacrificed just in the name of idealism. 3-0339-0000”
“Madam President, consumers all over Europe are experiencing a significant and sustained surge in food prices. On 20 April this year, food-price inflation had risen by 4.9 % over just 12 weeks. This staggering rise is hitting households directly in their pockets. According to an Ernst and Young survey published in May, the average Irish household is now spending nearly EUR 2000 per month compared to 2021. That's an enormous burden on working families. Figures from the Central Statistics Office confirm a cumulative increase of 3.6 % for 12 consecutive months. Everything is going up, Commissioner, even the butter in our canteen outside has gone up by over 5 % since I joined this Parliament last year.”
“We lack strong thinking. We lack an ability to consider the people who are involved here, the people who are suffering because of the lack of a home. It is an absolute disgrace. We need, throughout Europe and in Ireland, to focus on real progress for families like these. 1-0222-0000”
“Madam President, the housing crisis is crippling thousands of families and young couples all over Europe and especially in Ireland. I went to the town of Naas in County Kildare, a town which had 5 000 people in 1971, now a car-based town with 30 000 people in housing estates, and another 4 500 waiting for homes. A town that's been forgotten. Planning is terrible. The demand is just incredible. I spoke to Angela Garrett. She has two children, one aged 32, who has autism, the other 28. They're still living at home. She tells me the average price of a family home in this town is half a million euro – five hundred thousand euro! It is out of control. And what does our government do in Ireland? We put in charge a man who's paid a salary of almost half a million euro in another job to come in to take over this job. We lack ideas.”
“However, I'm less happy with the announcement in the mid-term review of the cohesion policy of what seems to be the exclusion of my country, Ireland, from the one-year extension of the current year transition fund? I don't understand it. We must seek adequate flexibility in the capacity for Member States, such as Ireland, to have full access to the extended timeline to provide extra time to spend their allocations. As an MEP, I know how vital cohesion policy is for the regions. As we prepare for the next programming period, let's ensure cohesion policy remains properly funded, simplified and accessible to all the regions. 1-0191-0000”
“Mr President, I welcome this report and its well-rounded assessment of what cohesion funds and policy actually stand for today. I compliment the rapporteurs. The report makes it clear, however, that stark disparities remain among the EU's regions, especially in rural areas. And in this context, I support the report's call for the need to address these disparities and simplify access to the funds, Commissioner: simplification. As a rapporteur of Parliament's own-initiative report on the just transition, I am glad to see the report calling for the continuation of that process and ensuring its reinforced financial means for the post-2027 period.”
“Commissioner, we cannot and will not stand idly by if this is proposed. We must not dilute our cohesion policy at any time, and especially when we are facing potentially crippling tariffs from the US. We need a robust, future-proofed cohesion policy, not just an investment. It's a commitment to European solidarity. Solidarity that is short in supply at the moment. We must safeguard a strong and well-funded cohesion policy well beyond 2027. 2-0384-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, if Liberation Day is what they're calling the events in Washington this week, then surely today, here in Strasbourg, we should say it's D-Day for our European Commission to get its act together in readiness for the challenges that are undoubtedly ahead. While Donald Trump talks of tariffs, we must talk about cohesion policy that will drive investment, reduce regional disparities and ensure that no region is left behind, especially in face of what will be tougher trading conditions. As we review our current programmes, there are fears ahead, Commissioner, that some projects risk being jettisoned for those more politically expedient in the short term, and even more concerns about reallocating funds to other priorities, such as defence spending.”
“We need positive planning policies that favour the natives, and we must ensure young people with fluent Irish are not priced out of their communities. The Irish language has survived through war, famine and numerous waves of immigration. For it to finally die due to planning laws would be a tragedy. 1-0259-0000”
“Madam President, the Gaeltacht areas of Ireland are not only geographical regions, they are part of the island's heritage. They're the beating heart of the Irish language. Mar a deir Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich: An teanga, sin í croí ár ndúchais. Unfortunately, a mix of bad planning or no planning at all, combined with Airbnb-style corporate acquisitions, have seen an influx of non-Irish speakers coming in, causing a dramatic shift in the linguistic balance. If planning continues to be granted without restrictions and there is no positive discrimination towards Irish speakers, there is a real risk now of losing the Irish language forever in locations like Galway, Kerry and Donegal. Commissioner, our new European Parliament Special Committee on Housing must look at this.”
“Commissioner, this is nothing short of a rip-off and no amount of prevarication over injury claims or legal costs can excuse it. We need our new Consumer Commissioner, Michael McGrath, to be brave and to seize on this issue, challenge the main players in Europe and make the single market work for European consumers. 1-0235-0000”
“Madam President, motorists all over Europe are being driven to disillusionment over the lack of consistency in the price being charged for insurance premiums. The European Community was established as a single market where strength in numbers across over 20 Member States, was supposed to mean a more competitive market for insurance and cheaper premiums for the over 400 million people who live here. But this has not materialised in my country. The price of car insurance continues to rise every year, especially for young drivers, like Patrick O'Reilly from Cornafean in County Cavan: a 19-year-old boy who could insure his 2020 Volkswagen Golf for EUR 1 212 in Belgium, yet is asked to pay a staggering EUR 4 679 in Ireland.”
“Mr President, the challenges facing the road haulage sector on island nations like Ireland, setting out from one of the most peripheral regions to do business in Europe, are patently unfair. Irish companies such as Beirne Express Freight in Mayo send their trailers from our island to mainland Europe, but face immediate restrictions upon arrival overseas under EU cabotage laws, while mainland operators encounter these regulations only after their first loading or unloading. This disparity costs tens of thousands of euros. Rigid driving time regulations penalise those who experience small delays, forcing them to miss ferries and wait for hours for the next one. Drivers should have the flexibility to complete their journeys without unnecessary penalties.”