Seán Kelly
Member of the European Parliament · PPE · IE
“Madam President, my colleague Ressler said Europe was a sleeping giant. And this is a sleep that is self-inflicted because of overregulation etc. So now we need to wake up and get rid of the sleeping tablets.”
“A Uachtaráin, beidh mé chomh tapaidh agus is féidir liom. Yesterday, at the first debate on the conclusions of the European Council meeting, a lot of Members – understandably at the time – were critical of the non-attendance of the Irish Presidency.”
“A Uachtaráin, the Commission estimates that rebuilding Gaza will cost USD 71 billion. For decades, the EU has funded schools, hospitals, water networks, community centres in Palestine – many of them now destroyed.”
“A Uachtaráin, tá áthas orm labhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. Europe's bioeconomy represents one of our greatest untapped economic opportunities – by turning agricultural residues, forestry by-products, marine resources and organic waste into high-value products, we can reduce our dependence on fossil-based materials while creating new…”
“I therefore welcome investments such as Ireland's new National Biorefinery Pilot Plant in County Monaghan, which helps researchers, SMEs and industry from across the country to transform promising ideas into commercially viable products, bridging the gap between laboratory research and market deployment.”
“A Uachtaráin, I think there is nothing more depressing than to see a traditional industry like the automotive industry basically going down the tubes, especially because of unfair competition from China. So that's up to us to ensure that competition is stopped and that we give a fair advantage to our own industries.”
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“The Irish Presidency will attend all meetings that they are required and allowed to attend here in Parliament. 4-0194-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, beidh mé chomh tapaidh agus is féidir liom. Yesterday, at the first debate on the conclusions of the European Council meeting, a lot of Members – understandably at the time – were critical of the non-attendance of the Irish Presidency. Having already looked at the reason, I can now assure Members that it was not the fault of the Irish Presidency. The European Council decided, because it was the conclusion of the meetings in the relation to the Council, that that only President Costa, who was in Ankara at the NATO summit, could attend. The Irish minister was here and available to attend the meeting, but he was not allowed. To be fair to the Irish Government, we had a meeting with our Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, on Monday night, and there we discussed the need to attend and show respect to Parliament.”
“Madam President, my colleague Ressler said Europe was a sleeping giant. And this is a sleep that is self-inflicted because of overregulation etc. So now we need to wake up and get rid of the sleeping tablets. I think the report by Mario Draghi has been followed through very sensibly by the Commission in relation to omnibuses and now the 28 tax regime. But also crucial to that is investment money, and that can come from the savings and investment union, which is a priority for the Irish Presidency over the next six months. And if we get the cooperation we need and require, then the billions of euros that citizens have in banks, sleeping there, losing money for them, can be utilised to create the investment that will help us to not only research, but also innovate, scale up and manufacture in Europe, and that will benefit all of us.”
“I therefore welcome investments such as Ireland's new National Biorefinery Pilot Plant in County Monaghan, which helps researchers, SMEs and industry from across the country to transform promising ideas into commercially viable products, bridging the gap between laboratory research and market deployment. If Europe is serious about competitiveness, circularity and supporting our rural economy, then we must put the bioeconomy at the heart of our industrial strategy, invest in innovation and give Europe's entrepreneurs the tools they need to scale-up and succeed. Mar a deirimid as Gaeilge: 'Tapaigh an deis'. 3-0386-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, tá áthas orm labhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. Europe's bioeconomy represents one of our greatest untapped economic opportunities – by turning agricultural residues, forestry by-products, marine resources and organic waste into high-value products, we can reduce our dependence on fossil-based materials while creating new jobs, new industries, and new income streams for rural communities. We need to frame the bioeconomy as a critical element of Europe's industrial policy, innovation policy and competitiveness policy. It strengthens European strategic autonomy by producing more of the materials, chemicals, fuels and ingredients we need here in Europe from resources we already have.”
“Without a two-state solution, we'll find ourselves funding the reconstruction of Gaza again and again. Europe must help build not only infrastructure, but also the conditions for a just and lasting peace. 3-0248-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, the Commission estimates that rebuilding Gaza will cost USD 71 billion. For decades, the EU has funded schools, hospitals, water networks, community centres in Palestine – many of them now destroyed. We must ask ourselves why the European Union has become remarkably consistent in financing the foundations of Palestinian life, while displaying far less determination in holding accountable those who systematically dismantle them. The EU has a moral responsibility to help rebuild Gaza, but it must also go hand in hand with accountability. UNRWA – the only organisation with the capacity to respond at this scale on the ground – has become a scapegoat, while the real questions go unanswered. What has the so-called Board of Peace delivered?”
“But we should applaud Ukraine for the work it is doing to make reform after reform, whilst under constant bombardment from Russia. As regards peace, I will quote Warren Buffett: 'you can't do good business with a bad person'. Bí cúramach, buaigh an cogadh agus gheobhaimid cogadh agus síocháin bhuan. 2-0451-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, is ábhar fíorthábhachtach é seo dúinn uile. Therefore, our support for Ukraine must continue to be unconditional and unwavering. This support must remain unconditional even where this brings economic or political challenges for all of us. Ukraine is defending all of Europe, and we must take every single measure possible to choke the Russian economy and ensure nothing we do in the EU enhances its ability to maintain this war. I support the strongest possible sanctions against Russia and we must build on this in the 21st package, and also on our energy independence. Yesterday, we saw more deadly missile and drone attacks in Kyiv – another stark reminder of the horrors that the Ukrainian people must live with. On Ukraine's accession: reforms are needed. Enlargement is and must remain merit-based.”
“Also, in relation to the omnibuses, these are integral to addressing competitiveness. Six are completed – I think we can hopefully complete another four. That will be massive. You spoke at length to us last night, a Thaoisigh, of your work to try and complete the savings and investments union. That is going to be absolutely vital if we are to research, innovate, scale up and manufacture in Europe. Your point about enlargement is huge – particularly Montenegro being out in front, but also for the others, but it must be merit based. And finally, a bugbear of my own is to try and end daylight saving. Changing the clock twice a year is nonsensical, and 85 % of citizens don't want it, so let's get rid of it. The EPP will be fully behind you in your work because we are partners with you in government. 2-0101-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, a Thaoisigh, a Choimisinéir, comhghairdeas, a Thaoisigh, as ucht na hóráide breátha a thug tú dúinn. Mar a dúirt tú, tá tús maith déanta agat agus ar aghaidh leis an dea-obair. The competitiveness, values and security theme of the Irish Presidency – I think most people can see that's good, and it captures the essentials for this mandate. I think Mario Draghi outlined in 2024 the need for competitiveness. This is the fifth presidency in this mandate, and I think we have outlined and identified key reports which need to be either finalised or progressed. But as Commissioner Šefčovič referred to the grids package, I think we can finalise that, hopefully, but also make rapid progress in the electrification action plan, Industrial Accelerator Act and EU Competitiveness Fund.”
“Łaskawie pozwalacie producentom połączyć wyniki emisji z lat 2025, 2026 i 2027, żeby nałożone na nich kary nieco złagodzić. Ale jak mają ich uniknąć w dłuższej perspektywie, skoro klienci wprost odrzucają ten zielony nakaz? Europejskiej motoryzacji nie uratują kolejne miliardowe dotacje ani odgórne wymuszanie zakupów. Odrzućcie ten klimatyczny dyktat, znieście absurdalne normy i przestañcie wreszcie szkodzić gospodarce! 2-0079-0000 (Die Sitzung wird um 10:34 Uhr unterbrochen.) 2-0081-0000 IN THE CHAIR: ROBERTA METSOLA”
“Wasz tak zwany "pakiet motoryzacyjny" z grudnia 2025 roku to nic innego jak kontynuacja patologicznego centralnego planowania. Zamiast pozwolić działać rynkowi, tworzycie program "Battery Booster", żeby z kieszeni podatników rozdać 1,5 miliarda euro w formie nieoprocentowanych pożyczek producentom baterii. Co gorsza, skoro obywatele nie chcą kupować drogich elektryków, postanowiliście ratować popyt siłą – wprowadzając obowiązkowe, odgórne cele zakupów aut zeroemisyjnych dla dużych firm i ich flot korporacyjnych. Z jednej strony obiecujecie firmom biurokratyczne oszczędnoœci rzędu 706 milionów euro z tak zwanego "Automotive Omnibus", a z drugiej wciąż trzymacie na gardle branży śmiercionośny cel: 90-procentową redukcję emisji spalin od 2035 roku.”
“Azonban magyar tapasztalat mutatja: a beruházások akkor elfogadhatók társadalmilag és gazdaságilag is, ha szigorúan tiszteletben tartják a környezet- és munkavédelmi, vízgazdálkodási és helyi közösségi szempontokat is. Európa célja nem lehet az elszigetelődés, hanem a tisztességes versenyben is erős, innovatív és fenntartható autóipar megteremtése. Magyarország közép-európai partnereivel együtt továbbra is ezért fog kiállni uniós szinten. 2-0078-8750 Marcin Sypniewski (ESN), in writing – Komisja Europejska najpierw dusi regulacjami przemysł motoryzacyjny, który daje utrzymanie 13 milionom Europejczyków, a teraz zrzuca nam na głowę "pakiety ratunkowe". Udajecie strażaka, który najpierw podłożył ogień pod gospodarkę, a teraz bohatersko próbuje go gasić.”
“Az autóipar munkahelyeket, exportot, beszállítói hálózatokat és technológiai fejlődést jelent. Ezért alapvető érdekünk, hogy Európa ne veszítse el helyét a globális versenyben. De világosan kell látnunk: a válasz nem lehet a túlzott protekcionizmus. Az európai ipar rászorul bizonyos mértékű védelemre a tisztességtelen versennyel szemben, de az önmagában nem fogja megoldani a jelenlegi kihívásait. A gyártóknak legalább annyira szüksége van innovációra, képzett munkaerőre, olcsóbb energiára, és kiszámítható szabályozásokra. Eközben a jelenlegi geopolitikailag kockázatos időszakban nem engedhetjük meg magunknak, hogy elidegenítsük megbízható kereskedelmi partnereinket. Emellett egyre többen gondolják úgy, hogy az elektromos átállás csak akkor lehet sikeres, ha az akkumulátor-ellátási láncok Európában épülnek ki.”
“A munkahelyek megőrzése érdekében fel kell szabadítani az iparágat és meg kell adni a polgároknak és a vállalkozásoknak a lehetőséget, hogy a számos rendelkezésre álló technológiájú gépjármű közül a számukra legmegfelelőbbet válasszák ki. Harmadszor, le kell törni az energiaárakat. Ma egy európai autóipari vállalat globális versenytársaihoz képest négy-ötszörös árat fizet az energiáért. Ez elfogadhatatlan. Az utolsó utáni pillanatban vagyunk, ezért különös súlya van az Európai Parlament állásfoglalásának a Ház előtt lévő autóipari javaslatok kapcsán. Ha rosszul döntünk, tömeges munkanélküliség jöhet. Ezért nincs más opciónk, jól kell döntenünk. 2-0078-7500 Eszter Lakos (PPE), írásban – Az európai autóipar versenyképessége minden tagállam, de különsen a közép-európai országok számára jelent alapvető kihívást.”
“Ez pedig immár az európai családok mindennapjaiban is megjelent – 2024-ben százezer európai autóipari munkahely szűnt meg. Iparági becslések szerint közvetlenül további négyszázezer, közvetve pedig több mint egymillió, az autóiparból élő, család megélhetése lehet veszélyben. A tét óriási, ezért azonnal cselekednünk kell. Először, a Bizottság által jelenleg is javasolt szigorú előírások és büntetések helyett rugalmasságra és pozitív ösztönző intézkedésekre van szükség. Újabb adminisztratív terhek helyett ösztönzők kellenek ahhoz, hogy jövőt adjunk az autóiparnak Másodszor, az európai autóipar technológiasemlegességet kér. És igaza van.”
“And we have to look at these creative measures to ensure that the automotive industry stays in Europe, is made in Europe and bought in Europe. 2-0077-0000 (Ende der spontanen Wortmeldungen) 2-0078-0000 Die Präsidentin. – Die Aussprache ist geschlossen. Die Sitzung wird kurz unterbrochen. Sie wird in wenigen Minuten mit der Erläuterung des Tätigkeitsprogramms des irischen Ratsvorsitzes wieder aufgenommen. Schriftliche Erklärungen (Artikel 178) 2-0078-5000 András Gyürk (PfE), írásban – Az európai autóipar súlyos problémákkal küzd. Az Ursula von der Leyen által meghirdetett zöldpolitika és az azt kísérő, a valóságtól elrugaszkodott szabályozások megjelenése óta az európai autógyártás globális piaci részesedése folyamatosan csökken.”
“A Uachtaráin, I think there is nothing more depressing than to see a traditional industry like the automotive industry basically going down the tubes, especially because of unfair competition from China. So that's up to us to ensure that competition is stopped and that we give a fair advantage to our own industries. But also, I think, we can move forward and be a little more creative. I agree with EVs. They suit certain people, they don't suit other people, they are growing in sales, but they have to be European. 'Made in Europe' has to be the key. But also, hybrid cars. I have a hybrid car, plug-in hybrid. It says it will do 100 km. I have never done more than 50 or 55, driving even as slow as possible. So, if the hybrid cars could cover a longer distance under the electric part of it, then I think that would be a win-win for Europe.”
“Go raibh maith agat a Uachtaráin, Tráth dá raibh agus mise ag éirí aníos in Éirinn, deirtear linn dul amach ag súgradh agus gan teacht ar ais go dtí go raibh an dinnéar réidh. Is cosúil nach ionann an cás in aon chor do leanaí atá ag éirí anuas inniu. Ar na saolta seo, i gcás a lán leanaí is ag stánadh ar scáileán ar feadh uaireanta fada atá siad, agus ar an drochuair, ní áirítear físchluichí mar shúgradh. Nuair a bhíonn leanaí ag súgradh le chéile, cruthaítear cairdeas, forbraítear muinín, foghlaimítear chun fadhbanna a réiteach agus foghlaimítear na scileanna criticiúla a theastaíonn uathu don saol atá amach rompu. Tá Éire ar cheann den bheagán tíortha ar domhan a bhfuil beartas náisiúnta súgartha acu, ach ní mór é a thabhairt cothrom le dáta.”
“The lesson is that Europe must invest heavily in resilience and reducing our dependencies, and deliver a clear strategy for Europe's energy independence as soon as possible. Sin an sprioc atá romhainn. 3-0390-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, the resilience of our transport sector is synonymous with the resilience of our fuel supply and its cost. If we can't power our transport fleets, haulage, freight, shipping or aviation, our economy will grind to a halt. The recent war in the Middle East has demonstrated clearly just how vulnerable our transport sector and, by extension, our economy really is. The IEA estimates that oil supply from the region remains 14.4 million barrels a day below pre-war levels. This is putting enormous pressure on our transport companies to supply us with what we need. While we welcome the deal to end the war and open the Straits of Hormuz, we should approach this with caution.”
“The nightmare is not over for the people of Lebanon, so the EU must work to halt Israeli expansion in the region through the annexation of Lebanese territory. 2-0120-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, let's firstly get the facts straight. A peace deal has not been achieved between the US and Iran. There is a memorandum of understanding, a framework for negotiations, and difficult negotiations lie ahead. Despite President Trump's words regarding what has been going on in Iran since the war began, one thing is clear: it is a different Iran, but not necessarily a better one. While the contents of this memorandum are not yet known to us, we can still say with some degree of certainty that Trump's announcement to 'let the oil flow' shows a narrow focus on energy markets. But the effects of this conflict have been more far-reaching than just increased prices at the fuel pumps. Israel has used the war to occupy more of Lebanon and has declared its intention not to withdraw.”
“We must learn from that experience. Advanced sustainable biofuels can play a role alongside electrification, but let's make sure the signals we send to investors are credible and consistent for the long term. 4-0215-0000 Interventions à la demande 4-0216-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, the recent volatility in global fossil fuel markets has again demonstrated how exposed Europe is to global price shocks completely beyond our control, and why ending our dependence on fossil fuels is so important. Sustainable biofuels can play an important role in that transition, but as someone who has been closely involved in the sustainability debate over many years, I think we also need to be careful about the signals we send to investors. More than 20 years ago, the EU introduced ambitious targets for renewable fuels. Significant investment followed, but the ILUC debate gathered pace soon afterwards, driven by concerns about the impact of our policies on land use, food security and biodiversity around the globe. We then had to significantly roll back on our ambition, particularly through the ILUC Directive, and RED II.”
“A Uachtaráin, 'high time to deliver on the single market'. The words 'high time' suggest an urgency and the frustration, which is understandable. I remember saying to Ursula von der Leyen over two years ago, at an EPP meeting, that since I came here in 2009, all I was hearing was, 'We need to complete the single market, we need to complete the single market, we need to complete the single market.' And I said to her that I was looking forward to the day when somebody from the Commission would say, 'We have completed the single market.' We know what the obstacles are. We must tackle those obstacles and remove them. They have been identified by Members of the House all morning, but we must do and take on the words of the trademark of Nike: 'Just do it'. Just do it, and then we will be able to say we have completed the single market.”
“That means deep cross-border intelligence sharing, heavy investment in our cyber defence capabilities and ironclad protection for vital sectors like energy, finance and hospitals. Artificial intelligence is the single biggest opportunity, but also the single biggest challenge of our lifetimes. Caithfimid a bheith ar an airdeall de lá is d'oíche. Go raibh míle maith agaibh. 2-0063-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, a chairde, as advanced AI evolves at breakneck speed, Europe faces a defining test: innovation must strengthen our security, not undermine it. We see the massive benefits of AI every day in Ireland, driving our tech sector and transforming healthcare. But we cannot afford to be blind to the unprecedented cybersecurity risks. Sophisticated AI is already being weaponized. It accelerates cyberattacks and scams, automates disinformation, and targets critical infrastructure with unimaginable speed. For Ireland, as a primary digital and data hub for Europe, the stakes could not be higher. A threat to our networks is a threat to the entire European single market. While the EU has led the way with the Artificial Intelligence Act and new cyber regulations, laws alone are not a shield. We need concrete action.”
“Ní féidir linn dearmad a dhéanamh ar an tSúdáin ná dearmad a dhéanamh ar phríomhsprioc an Aontais. Sin é an tsíocháin. Go raibh maith agat, a Uachtaráin. 3-0528-0000”
“A Uachtaráin! Is léiriú brónach é ar shaol an lae inniu gur beag aird a thugtar sna meáin ar an ngéarchéim shibhialta is mó dár saol. Tá scór milliún sibhialtach de chuid na Súdáine ag fulaingt de bharr na héiginnteachta bia agus bhí ar dhosaen milliún díobh teitheadh óna dtithe. Ba cheart don Aontas é féin a chur chun tosaigh mar bhróicéir síochánta macánta anseo, ach níos tábhachtaí fós mar an deontóir cúnaimh is mó agus an fórsa síochána is mó ar domhan. Tá an tAontas in áit mhaith chun acmhainní suntasacha a chomhordú chun faoiseamh a thabhairt do phobail shibhialta na Súdáine a bhfuil fíor-dhrochbhail orthu mar gheall ar an gcogadh seo. Dá bhrí sin, iarraim ar Ardionadaí Kallas gníomhú chun fíorchabhair a thabhairt don tSúdáin mar ábhar tosaíochta.”
“But so must we, in firmly standing with Ukraine. We can never go back on this. And to those who argue that it is now the time to move on, that culture and sport are in some way transcending beyond politics, I say this: there can never be normalisation without justice. It is a betrayal of the victims who have been scarred by Russian aggression. And it tells dictators everywhere around the world that their crimes will be forgotten. Our values are not negotiable. We will continue to stand with Ukraine, with its heritage, with its athletes and with its people until they are free. 3-0452-0000”
“This is why this is why the sporting movement took a decision back in 2022, when the war of aggression started in Ukraine, that athletes coming from these countries that are responsible for this unprovoked aggression should never be allowed to use these sporting events as propaganda. Athletes coming from these countries were only allowed to participate with neutral colours, without flags and without the symbolism. So what's changed since then? Nothing. So why should the decision change? In the cultural sphere over 500 cultural sites have so far been damaged and destroyed. Not by accident. This is not an accident. These are targeted attacks on symbols of memory, of identity of Ukraine. Each attack is an attempt to erase Ukraine's past and to break the spirit of Ukrainian people. Ukraine resists.”
“We will never interfere in the way you design competitions and the way you organise sport. This is not our role, and it should never be. But we will never stop reminding you of your responsibility. We will never stop reminding you of the mistakes that happened in the past, of what happened in 1976, when the FIFA World Cup in Argentina was used by the dictatorship to sport‑wash the atrocities that were happening there. We will never stop reminding you of what happened in 1936, in Nazi Germany, when the Olympic Games were used as instruments of propaganda by the regime. We want to learn from these mistakes. We don't want to repeat these mistakes. And it's your responsibility as a sporting movement to also govern sports in a way which is responsible. Sport is not happening in a vacuum, away from what is happening around the world.”
“In the meantime, they have to be excluded and those who are calling for their inclusion – particularly the heads of sport bodies – need to be called out and not allowed to do so. 3-0450-0000 (Koniec zgłoszeń z sali) 3-0451-0000 Glenn Micallef, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, colleagues, let me repeat something which I said in my introduction and in my introductory remarks in this debate. This is a war that goes beyond the battlefield. This is a war that is an assault on Ukrainian identity, on its memory and on its future. So the first message here is to board bodies of sports organisations: no politician, myself included, should ever interfere with your autonomy on the way sporting events are organised. This is a fundamental principle in sport that we all recognise.”
“A Uachtaráin, why was Russia excluded from participating in major cultural and sports events? Because, without provocation, it invaded Ukraine, destroyed its infrastructure, committed all sorts of crimes, particularly in Bucha and, as has been pointed out by Mr Van Lanschot, has killed many of their athletes and coaches. Now we're supposed to let them back in? What has changed? Nothing has changed. The invasion continues. The destruction continues. The killing continues. So it's very obvious that when Russia leaves Ukraine, or preferably is driven out by the brave Ukrainian people, then the situation will be normalised and they can come back in to all these wonderful sporting events.”
“Coco's Law is a means to that end and is already deterring would‑be bullies from these cruel actions in the first place. I thank my EPP colleagues in particular, who have enthusiastically championed the cause of making Coco's Law a European law. We must act now. We have seen the impact Coco's Law has had in Ireland. We must make Coco's Law a European law, and we must do so now. Tá súil agam gur féidir an dlí seo (Dlí Coco) a reáchtáil i rith thréimhse na Parlaiminte seo. Tá sé sin tuillte ag Coco agus a máthair cróga Jacky. Míle buíochas, a chairde. 3-0327-0000 Procedura "catch-the-eye" 3-0328-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, a Choimisinéir agus a chomhghleacaithe, when a child dies, a thousand questions are posed in the shattered lives of those left behind. What did we do to deserve this? What could we have done to prevent it? Why us? When Jackie Fox's daughter Nicole was tragically taken from her, she turned these questions into a mission. She pushed, she marched, she fought, and, through her strength and determination, saw Coco's Law enacted in Ireland, which criminalised the vile cyberbullying which led to Nicole's death. In the three years since Coco's Law was enacted, there have been almost 100 prosecutions for cyberbullying in Ireland. Behind each of these prosecutions is a victim; there is a person, a family, an entire community who deserve justice.”
“Often, we see amendments end up in trilogue agreements that cannot be implemented. That does no service to good lawmaking. If the Commission must assess its proposals, Parliament and Council should assess the impact of our amendments too. Europe does not need more rules for the sake of it, but to regulate in a way that improves the lives of citizens. 2-0276-0000 Spontane Wortmeldungen 2-0277-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, Commissioner Dombrovskis, Mario Draghi was right to place better regulation at the centre of the competitiveness debate. Europe cannot regulate its way to success. We need smarter and clearer rules, limited to what is needed and what genuinely solves problems. That starts with proper impact assessments. Every proposal should be tested for cost benefit, administrative burden and real world practicality before it lands on the desks of co-legislators. We should also be clear that sometimes the best outcome of an impact assessment is to conclude that no new regulation is needed at all. The Commission's right of initiative should not be a constant incentive to produce more laws, when no new laws is the better option. We in Parliament must also look at ourselves.”
“As we negotiate a trade agreement with the UAE – which I fully support – I ask colleagues to raise Ryan's case during negotiations. Renew our call on the UAE authorities from July last year: free Ryan Cornelius and free him now. 1-0041-0000”
“Madam President, colleagues, I would like to bring your attention back to July 2025, when we voted on an urgency resolution on Ryan Cornelius, a British businessman married to an Irish woman, who's been arbitrarily detained in Dubai since 2008. Today, Ryan Cornelius turns 72 years old. Under UAE law, prisoners over the age of 70 should be released. Yet Ryan remains behind bars. 27 April marks the anniversary of Ryan's sentencing – a sentence which was retroactively extended by 20 years, violating human rights standards. Despite the authorities having already seized all of his wealth and assets – assets worth far more than the alleged debt in question – they continue to insist he will not be freed until that so-called debt is paid.”
“When a project is in the public good, like a renewable project, wind or solar, then it should get priority in planning, priority in permitting and we should ensure that that public good is delivered. If we do that, then we won't have to be worrying about geopolitical shocks into the future. The solution is in our hands. Let's do it. Let's back the commissioner and make it happen. 1-0111-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, a Choimisinéir, whether we like it or not, we are going to need oil and gas for many years to come, and that means we should be utilising the oil and gas resources within Europe ourselves. Rather than leaving it in the ground, we should be utilising it. That means Corrib and Barryroe in Ireland should be utilised immediately. But more important than that is to ramp up the deployment of renewables. That is the future. That means implementing, as soon as possible, the grids package, which is complete and which is accurate. Also, we will have to look at some of the obstacles in relation to the deployment of renewables, particularly planning and permitting.”
“We need joined-up thinking across planning and permitting, industrial policy, grid development, and things like joint support schemes and market arrangements. Failure to develop the North Seas' potential will condemn another generation of Europeans to high and uncontrollable electricity prices. Ní féidir cur suas leis sin. 3-0258-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, the volatile global energy market is once again wreaking havoc on European wholesale electricity prices and consumer bills. I welcome the continued commitments by the North Sea countries to realise the enormous potential of our renewable resources in north-western Europe. The North Seas, including the Irish and Celtic Seas, have enough resources to power the whole of Europe, and I think delivering on this potential needs to be our number one focus in the ongoing work on the grid package. The North Seas, therefore, are in reality our only realistic pathway to true energy independence. But not enough progress has been made. Planning systems continue to delay rollout and this compounds the major supply chain bottlenecks that our project developers experience.”
“The answer to the problem, of course, is to end our reliance on gas, push it off our system and power Europe with home-grown, low-cost renewables. But of course this will not happen overnight and citizens have to be protected today. If the last five years has shown us anything, it is that we need to become energy independent a lot faster than it probably is feasible. Enabling our citizens to participate effectively in the transition, generating, selling and storing energy, providing flexibility helps edge Europe closer to this independence objective. Every kilowatt of power produced or stored by citizens is a kilowatt less of expensive imported fossil fuels we need to burn. Sin a bhfuil go fóill, a Uachtaráin. Míle buíochas arís. Gach rath ort. Sin a bhfuil. 2-0382-0000 Intervenții la cerere 2-0383-0000”
“Tá brón orm nach rabhas anseo níos túisce, a Uachtaráin, agus míle buíochas as mé a thógáil. We should be very clear from the outset that while there are several things contributing to the high energy costs we face here in Europe, the number one reason is our continued dependence on expensive imported fossil fuels. Our electricity price is determined by a global gas market over which we have effectively no control. This means that every time there is a disruption to a pipeline or a supply route, as we are seeing right now in the Strait of Hormuz, citizens' energy prices goes up. The week just before the US attacks in Iran, the Irish wholesale electricity price came in at an average of EUR 90 per megawatt‑hour. In the last 10 days since, this has spiked to EUR 145 per megawatt‑hour. Consumers once again feel this increase.”
“We need to invest in nurturing talent and strengthen mobility for researchers across the Union, particularly in critical fields such as digital technologies, artificial intelligence and clean tech. It also means reversing the brain drain. We need to make the European Union the most attractive place in the world to conduct research. For countries like Ireland, this is particularly important. Over the past quarter century, Ireland has built a globally respected research base supported by strong collaboration between academia, enterprise and government. But in the fast moving global economy, Europe will be left behind if we remain fragmented. A strong research area ensures that smaller, innovation-driven economies can connect their excellence to the scale of the European Union. 1-0119-0000”
“A Uachtaráin, Europe is home to some of the finest universities, laboratories and research centres in the world. Our scientists lead breakthroughs in medicine and clean technologies, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. These institutions are one of Europe's greatest competitive advantages. For this reason, we must do what we can to ensure this sector continues to thrive. That means removing barriers and borders and providing the funds our researchers need. The ERA must deliver a truly single market for research, innovation and technology. We need to see ideas, knowledge and talent move as freely as goods and capital do in our single market.”