Sharon Keogan
Industrial and Commercial Panel · Independent · Ireland
“The future of European border security is being decided right row at the European Commission. It is currently drafting the renewed mandate of Frontex, the EU border police force. As Ireland holds the rotating EU Presidency, the Minister for justice cannot simply pose as a disinterested broker while our European borders are compromised.”
“Holding the EU Presidency gives this Government massive agenda-setting leverage at the Council of Ministers. The Minister must use this chairing power to strip out counterproductive rights promotion provisions. Under the guise of good intentions, these provisions and their enforcers have defanged and undermined Frontex.”
“I thank the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I appreciate that he will engage with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on this. We live in the land of technology.”
“The Minister, Deputy Calleary, is welcome to the House. I rise to focus the attention of the House on a vital public service that sits at the very heart of social inclusion on this island, the free travel scheme.”
“Sitting down with Stormont to deliver a single unified rule book for free travel means we lift everyone to the same high standards of dignity and mobility, ensuring that a person's vulnerability is not penalised simply because of the jurisdiction they happen to live in.”
“It will point to the senior pass scheme, where a resident here can apply for a separate concessionary card to travel into the North. Let us be completely honest with ourselves.”
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“I also extend my sympathies to the Fitzgerald family, and indeed the Fianna Fáil family, on the loss of Liam Fitzgerald. I welcome to the Gallery Councillor Jason Murphy from Waterford and his fiancée, Nicola. They recently got engaged. They are welcome as guests of Senator Ollie Crowe. I rise to highlight two stories from the United Kingdom that are of relevance to us in Ireland. They are connected by the common theme that we must be very wary of certain ideas of Irish exceptionalism and must stop thinking it will not happen here. The first story concerns the current reform being proposed to abortion laws in Westminster, which would effectively allow for total liberalisation up to birth. The UK has some of the most extreme abortion laws in Europe.”
“This is the first time we have had the chance to address the Minister on this very important Department. I am disappointed that she left the Chamber after 40 minutes. I had a question. I rarely bring up local politics in this Chamber. I do not think I have ever done it. I have done it four or five times since I came in here, and it was to do with a secondary school in my area. I am wondering where it is, but I will send a request to the Minister. I am disappointed that she left the Chamber after 40 minutes.”
“A mileage allowance was granted to foster parents last year, and I welcomed that. However, I would get a child in school in Kildare or Wicklow, and it would be impossible for me to get him or her to school in Wicklow on a daily basis. It is not about the money. I just might not be able to spend four hours in a car every day to bring that child to school. This is something I would like the Minister of State to look at - to think of children in the foster care system who are not in continued education, particularly primary or secondary school. That is important. The Minister left after 40 minutes. To be honest, I am so disappointed. I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State but even on Commencement Matters, we are finding that senior Ministers are not coming to the House to answer the questions Senators are putting before them.”
“I support what the Senator said 100%. Gender ideology should be kept out of education, particularly primary and post-primary education. There is only one thing I want to raise and that is the education of children in foster care and the disadvantage they face. Many children who go into foster care may not go into an emergency placement within their own jurisdiction. Very often, they are moved out of the county. Believe it or not, some of those children end up not going back into the education system for one or two years. Members might find that shocking, but I have had teenage children in my care who may not have been in school for about two years because they were being pushed on and on through the system and never found that forever home. That, and not keeping them in care, is the greatest shame.”
“I support the amendment. Shockingly, a report released today by Missing Children Europe tells us a child disappears in Europe every two minutes. We need to think about that. There are many reasons children disappear, including that they run away, there is parent abduction or as a result of child migration. Indeed, Europe has seen 50,000 unaccompanied minors over the past year. There could be criminal abductions or children may be lost or injured. There are various reasons for children going missing but some of them are targeted through online grooming and are then trafficked and sexually abused and exploited. Let us do the right thing by implementing this legislation. It seeks to protect children right up to the age of 18, which is why I stand with Senator Flynn and her colleagues on it. I welcome support for it by the Government.”
“I thank the Senators who introduced this Bill for their commitment to protecting children. I am proud to support this amendment. I urge my colleagues on the Government side to support it as well.”
“Among these images were many of young girls, minors, in their school uniforms, with users on this site sharing their names, ages and location. The worrying part of this story is that it was discovered and brought to light by a news website rather than the Garda. The fact is that the Garda was slow to respond publicly. The forum was only removed after media exposure. The lack of enforcement action raises serious concerns about the State's capacity to respond to online abuse. I hope this update and expansion of our legal definitions will help to correct that. I have always said that the protection of children and minors must be above politics. Today, I see that principle in action. Senators from different backgrounds and perspectives have come together to do what is right. This is where the Seanad works best.”
“Let us be very clear about another reason this is important. The sexual predators who deal in this abusive material are no fools. Sadly, the market for this type of content is all too profitable. Those who profit from the suffering and abuse of minors are always innovating new ways to stay one step ahead of the law. Therefore, it is our duty as lawmakers to stay one step ahead of them. I hope that this updated definition will help orient the focus of our law enforcement towards the online dimension of sexual abuse and that we will follow up our change of language with fresh action and fresh resolve to clamp down on it. This is very much needed. For example, earlier this month, The Journal broke a story that thousands of images of Irish women were being shared on an online forum without their consent or knowledge.”
“This amendment calls it what it is: child sexual abuse material. I welcome the clarity this amendment and this Bill will bring. It is not only a change in language but a change in how we frame the crime. It centres the child, not the content. It centres the harm, not the medium. That is a shift we should all support. I also acknowledge the foresight in how this amendment has been drafted. It ensures legal continuity so that no case, prosecution or victim is left behind because of a change in terminology. That is responsible and compassionate law-making. I particularly appreciate the inclusion of digitally generated and artificial material in the definition. We are living in a time when technology is moving faster than our laws. This amendment ensures our protections for children are not stuck in the past.”
“I will speak on the amendment. I rise to speak in strong support for this amendment and to commend the Senators who have brought forward this Bill today and the amendment for its improvement. The work here of Senators Flynn, Higgins, Ruane and Black is not just legislative. It is moral, principled and necessary. For too long our laws have used the term “child pornography”, a term that frankly sanitises the horror of what is being done to children. It is a term that implies consensual actors creating content of their own violation and for their own economic gain. In the case of “child pornography” nothing could be further from the truth. Let the law be very clear on this point: there is no such thing as consensual pornography involving a child. What we are talking about is abuse, plain and simple.”
“These include legal self-identification with no age limits, a third gender on official documents, and free hormones and surgeries, even for children. It also calls for the teaching of gender identity in schools and the recognition of children’s gender identities regardless of age. These are not minor administrative tweaks; these are profound societal shifts that would, if implemented, effectively erase single-sex spaces and sports and redefine the relationship between parents, schools and the State. Yet, where is the debate? Where is the space for parents, teachers, doctors and citizens to ask questions, not out of hate but out of care, concern and a desire for truth? I am here to ask for what should be the foundation of any democracy: open, respectful and evidence-based discussion. Let us lift the prohibition on debate.”
“I rise today to call for the end of prohibition, a prohibition on the free and open discussion of one of the most vital questions of our time – sex, gender and gender ideology. In a place so deeply personal to so many people’s lives, instead of a fact-based discussion in which we have recognised that each of us has spoken in good faith, we have been treated to a decade of suppression and silence. In that silence, we have allowed a single worldview to shape our laws and society, often without scrutiny, democratic content or regard for the consequences. Just last year, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights published a paper recommending that member states, including Ireland, adopt sweeping changes to how we treat gender identity.”
“Even the former Dublin city manager Owen Keegan acknowledged this when asked by stakeholders. How can we make sound policy with skewed data? Part of the issue is that we continue to see transport as a zero-sum game - cars versus buses or cars versus cyclists. The fact is that there are infrastructure options that can increase public transport without hurting motorists, such as the delayed metro plan. Sadly, the Government appears to lack the ambition for plans that can help all of our citizens and not just those who cycle in from the leafy suburbs of Dublin 4. I am calling for a full debate in this House on the real-world impact of current transport policy, not just on our emissions but also on our commerce, community and common sense. Let us bring transparency, balance and the voice of people back into the room.”
“These are not just numbers; these are livelihoods lost, shutters pulled down and communities hollowed out. However, we continue to pursue a transport policy that seems more ideological than practical. The National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council have reallocated road space in a way that punishes motorists, delivery drivers and tradespeople, the very people who keep this city functioning. We are told this is about sustainability but when electric vehicle users are treated no better than drivers of diesel vehicles, one has to ask if this is really about the environment or about control. We now know that pedestrian data has been distorted by changes in how football is measured, with camera numbers doubling in 2012 creating the illusion of growth where there was none.”
“I welcome my Independent colleague from Cork City Council, Councillor Albert Deasy, and his wife, Anne, this afternoon. To tell the God's honest truth, I am a little bit sick of Members coming in here asking for debates with the housing Minister when Sinn Féin Members' colleagues around the country are voting against housing developments. We had that this morning for 79 houses in Ashbourne in County Meath. I am sick of it. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Members can take the smiles off their faces because they also voted against it. I express my deep concern over the ongoing decline in footfall in Dublin city centre, a decline that is not just economic but symbolic of a city losing its accessibility, vitality and common sense. Since 2007, footfall on Henry Street has dropped by 48% and on Grafton Street by 51%.”
“Everyone in this House supports the responsible consumption of alcohol and wants to reduce alcohol harms, but this label will do nothing to achieve that goal. It is a misguided solo run that puts Irish jobs, producers and our international reputation at risk, all for no proven health gain. Could the Minister look at that sector? That is something we could row back on or delay for a while. I wish him good luck. He was a very progressive Minister of State in the area of local government. I have no doubt he will grab this portfolio by the horns.”
“It is not just about money; it is about delivery. It is about cutting red tape, streamlining procurement and giving statutory powers to a single body to co-ordinate and prioritise major projects. We must stop treating infrastructure as a political football and start treating it as the foundation of our future, because without it we will be neither competitive nor prosperous. I welcome the national semiconductor strategy. It is something I believe the Minister will drive forward and that it will open the gates for many other global companies to come to Ireland to strengthen our tech industry. I also wish to highlight the reversal of the Government's decision to impose a new stand-alone labelling requirement on bottles of alcohol imported into Ireland.”
“Other countries are investing in small, modular reactors. Why are we not even talking about it? While we are at it, let us talk about offshore gas. We have untapped resources off our coast. Why are we not exploring them? Why are we not using them to build a sovereign wealth fund like Norway did, to invest in our future infrastructure? We are an island nation. With Brexit we have a golden opportunity to become the entrepôt for the EU. That means we need new ports, not just more pressure on Dublin. We should look at deepwater alternatives around the country such as Shannon Foynes, Cork, Waterford and even Rosslare. Let us spread the opportunity and the investment. The IBEC report is a wake-up call. It tells us that we need to spend €200 billion in the next decade just to keep pace. That is not a luxury, it is a necessity.”
“That is embarrassing, but it gets worse: we are now being told that Dublin may soon not have enough water to meet civilian demand, never mind the needs of data centres. Whether we like data centres or not, they are a strategic asset. They are our ace in the hole in a digital economy, but if we cannot fix the leaks in our water network or find the political will to move water from the Shannon, we will lose them, and with them we will lose jobs, investment and credibility. That would be a failure worthy of a banana republic, not the modern, forward-looking Ireland we claim to be. We must also have a serious conversation about nuclear energy. I have raised this before and I will raise it again. We cannot continue to ban nuclear power while simultaneously claiming to be serious about energy security and climate targets.”
“We must create alternative mechanisms to judicial reviews and empower decision-makers to correct errors without being dragged through the courts. If that means constitutional reform, so be it. The public good must come first. Let us take the Dublin metro as a case in point. This project has been in the pipeline for more than two decades. It has been studied, restudied, planned, replanned and objected to at every turn, and where are we now? We are still waiting, still paying consultants and still stuck in traffic. Speaking of traffic, why does our national airport not have a rail link? We are the only capital city in Europe without one. To get to Dublin city, you either pay a tenner for an express bus or wait an hour for a Dublin Bus that may or may not show up. That is not acceptable for a modern nation.”
“I was happy to see earlier this week that a columnist in The Irish Times asked the same question and came back with the same conclusion. While sad to hear, it is good that we are talking about this. However, talk is not enough. We need action, and we need courage. The IBEC report makes it crystal clear that we are being strangled by a planning system that gives more weight to the whims of serial objectors than to the common good. We are one of the few countries in Europe where a single individual can hold up a nationally significant project for years. This is not democracy; it is dysfunction. We need to rebalance the system. I support IBEC's call for the implementation of the Kelly report's recommendation.”
“I am glad to have the Minister here this afternoon. I am glad we are holding these statements on our nation's economic outlook and our competitiveness in succession as it really allows us to continue on from the earlier conversation we had with the Minister for Finance. When it comes to the question of competitiveness, I am sure there will be as much said on the question of how we balance regulation with entrepreneurial freedom, our taxation system, rates, efficiency and so on. However, as many of our esteemed colleagues will no doubt speak on these, for me, there are three primary things we must focus on: infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. Last month, I asked whether we would be able to build Ardnacrusha dam and power station today. My conclusion was that it was doubtful.”
“If we want to be a serious player in the global economy, we must also invest in our people, which means real, targeted education in the technologies that will define the next century: artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing. It means facilitating not just more degrees but the right ones; not just more funding but smarter funding. We need to stop pretending the world is going back to the way it was. It is not. The EU and US are adjusting and, if we do not adjust, we will be left behind. Let us be clear, strategic and, above all, let us be sovereign.”
“We could not even bring ourselves to signal opposition to a deal that would flood our markets with beef from countries with lower environmental and labour standards. Why? Because we are afraid of offending the Commission. That is not diplomacy; that is submission. We must also stop letting fear dictate our foreign policy. Taiwan is a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, chips that power everything and which our island is uniquely placed to manufacture, yet we will not even hear them out or consider co-operation for fear of upsetting Beijing. That is not neutrality; that is cowardice.”
“Many in the EU are already embracing the mindset. The long-term economic interests of the US to onshore its industry and keep as much manufacturing as domestic as possible will not change. In this situation, Europe can only be competition and Europe is adjusting accordingly. Ireland can even stand to benefit from the coming circumstances, but we must first see the reality for what it is. If we are to navigate this new economic reality we must stop acting like passengers and start acting like a nation with agency. Ireland is uniquely positioned to become a middleman between the great trading blocs, but to do that we must stop approaching Brussels on bended knee. Let us take Mercusor, for example.”
“Yet, only three years ago, when the US was under the Biden Administration, which was supposed to signal a return to the norm, the EU once again found itself facing a potential trade war in response to Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which would have advantaged US companies with US state aid. The act is still in force. That was all before we began to seriously deal with threat to our economy from the growing wave of protectionism. We have to throw out this deeply unserious mindset that prevails among too many in this House, in the Civil Service and in the Government, a childish mindset that assumes the tariffs and protectionism are just a bad dream and that, soon enough, we will all wake up and go back to the promises we were given in the nineties of global free trade, world peace and us all living happily ever after.”
“It began 13 years ago under Barack Obama’s Administration, with his pivot to east Asia. Through the different administrations, though they confronted the issue with varying levels of intensity, this same policy has continued under both Trump and Biden. It is the same with economics. When Trump first announced his policy of a trade war with China, he was met with disbelief and laughter. Within the decade we now have the EU talking about the need to decouple from the Chinese market. When Trump announced his initial intention to have a trade war with Europe, it was met with exasperation and disbelief. The thinking was that they were the mad decisions of a madman.”
“The Minister is very welcome. I will jump right to the point. The most important issue facing our national economic outlook is the tariffs and the looming trade war between and decoupling of the US and the EU. However, first let us stand aside for a moment from specific governments, leaders and politicians shaping the relationship between the EU and the US. Let us stand aside from partisan considerations of their ideologies, histories and even personalities. Regardless of who is in power, certain considerations remain the same. In many nations through elections, old parties are swept out of power and new ones are brought in, but the fundamental geopolitical and economic interests of those nations remain unchanged. In geopolitics, for example, the current US competition with China for power and influence did not begin with Trump.”
“What is more important is that we create a permanent law that will give businesses a sense of responsibility for these spaces and give them reason to invest in their long-term viability and maintenance. I will be supporting the extension, but let this be the last one. I call on the Minister of State to stop dithering and to bring forward permanent legislation without further delay. Our communities, businesses and, frankly, this House deserve better.”
“Making the law permanent will send a clear message that we value our local businesses, that we support vibrant public spaces and that we trust people to enjoy a drink outdoors without the sky falling in. Of course, there are many issues to be asked about in making this law permanent. There are questions of how they impact accessibility on public roads and pathways, especially for those with mobility issues, as highlighted by Senator Boyhan. There is a question of whether small businesses with no indoor seating will have adequate toilet facilities for their customers. We need to ask whether this will take away too much from public parking space. Ultimately, however, all these questions and issues are resolvable.”
“It creates uncertainty for small business owners who are trying to plan ahead, investing in outdoor infrastructure and hiring staff, and many are treading water as it is. These are the very people we claim to support, yet we leave them in limbo every few months. The Government has had ample time to make this law permanent. In fact, the general scheme of the sale of alcohol Bill was published back in 2022, yet it still has not made it to the Statute Book. Why? What is the delay? Is it bureaucracy? In any case, it is not good enough. We cannot keep governing by temporary measures. It is lazy, short-sighted and damaging. Small businesses need certainty. They need to know the rules will not change every six months. They need to know the investment they make today will still be valid tomorrow.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I support the motion to extend outdoor dining yet again, but let me be clear. This is not how we should be legislating in a modern state. This Act, introduced during the pandemic, gave legal clarity to something that was already happening – people enjoying a pint or a glass of wine in an outdoor seating area. It was a lifeline for small businesses, particularly in hospitality, that were trying to survive under impossible conditions, and it worked. It brought life to our towns and villages, supported jobs and gave people a safe social space to gather. However, here we are, four years later, still kicking the can down the road with a six-month extension. This is not sustainable.”
“Restore town councils, empower councillors, rebalance the relationship between elected members and executives and give local government the power it needs to serve the people. Independent councillors are the third-largest elected body. To leave them out would be unwise. Please be inclusive of Independent councillors.”
“It gets worse. Let us also consider the fact, which I have tried to raise in this Chamber for some time, that councillors are not even exempt from commercial rates. Can you believe it? There is no councillor on the Housing Agency yet there are chief executives. I call on the Government to clarify membership of the local democracy task force and on what basis and criteria its composition will be determined. On this issue, we cannot be treated like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed manure. I welcome the establishment of the local democracy task force but I say to the Government, be bold. Do not tinker around the edges. Do not give us another report that gathers dust on a shelf. Give us real reform.”
“For instance, councillors have no access to experienced advisers and we do in the Oireachtas. I propose the appointment of independent legal, planning and financial advisers for all councillors, to be appointed by the council chair every five years. Another inequality in our democracy is the cap on councillors, limiting them to gratuity payments for no more than 20 years of service. No such cap exists in these Houses. Either place on a cap on years of service for all or allow councillors to serve and be recognised for as long as their constituents continue to elect them. This mess and confused half measure must end. Another issue is the vouched expenses of €4,200. This can be used for admin support. However, it is not enough. It needs to be increased twofold. Even that would give councillors nine hours of administration support per week.”
“They were perfectly good forms for co-operation between local authorities, elected representatives and An Garda Síochána. In their place, we have been given local community safety partnerships, the roll-out of which has been a mess. Local community safety partnerships are touted as more directly involved with local communities yet they circumvent those same communities' elected and democratically accountable representatives. Our systems are marred by confusion and imbalance. In Ireland, the chief executive is appointed not elected. They make decisions. Councillors, the people's representatives, are left to rubber-stamp budgets and pass motions that can be ignored. That is not democracy; that is a two-tier system where the elected are left to explain decisions they did not make. We could help to rectify this situation tomorrow.”
“I rise not just as a Senator but as someone who, like many Senators, has worked on the front lines of local government. I say without hesitation the treatment of our local government and the continued centralisation of power is a disgrace. Successive Governments, including on the other side of the House and the Green Party, stripped communities of their voices, representation and ability to shape their own futures. It was done in the name of efficiency but we lost democracy. We were promised reform but what we got was centralisation. We need more councillors with more decisions made locally and less power handed to unelected executives. Let us look at one example, which is last year's abolition of joint policing committees.”
“I call for a debate with the Minister for the environment, Deputy O’Brien, to come in to talk to us about the big problems we are seeing with the return scheme. It turns out that 90% of the plastics collected have been shipped overseas because it is just not worth processing them here. In 2024, it is estimated that we sold 1.7 billion cans and bottles, but only about 900 million have been returned. That leaves 800 million cans not returned, but they still get a 20 cent per can or bottle bonus on their year-end balance sheets. This feels like another sneaky tax, since the return scheme pockets all the money from the cans and bottles that do not get returned. We need the Minister in here to explain why we cannot recycle these plastics in Ireland and what all the extra profits from the return scheme will be used for.”
“How can we condemn Germany's crackdown on free expression when it happens in Berlin yet allow the same Government the audacity to demand via Brussels that we implement those same laws? It is vital our Government makes a stand. The Minister needs to come to the House and inform us where he stands on this.”
“These are all things the people deserve to know. We live in turbulent times. Relations between the EU and the US are tense, and this is an opportunity for Ireland to become a middle ground for both blocs. To follow the EU's diktat would be to preclude this and drive away many of the US tech companies that are based in Ireland. More important than economic benefit is the moral case for the preservation of our free speech laws. We as a nation are making waves for our stance on Gaza, and many Irish people abroad are paying the price. We recently heard of Germany deporting two citizens of ours for attending pro-Palestinian protests. We have even heard of German police arresting Irish citizens for speaking Irish.”
“I rise to speak on an issue our Government must urgently address, namely, the recent threats from the European Commission that Ireland must introduce new so-called hate speech legislation or face legal action from the EU. As of the time of speaking, we have only six weeks to respond to these infringement proceedings but, so far, we have heard nothing from the Government regarding its plan of action. I therefore call on the Minister for Justice to appear before this House to inform us what options the Government is considering and to discuss and answer questions on these plans. Are we going to follow the order and implement these draconian restrictions? Are we going to resist and defend the right of our nation to preserve free speech? If we resist, will we do so through legal or political action?”
“Third, we should open additional test centres in high-demand areas, particularly in rural Ireland where the need is greatest. Finally, we should explore online systems for cancellations and rescheduled bookings to speed up the process and allow motivated candidates to fill the no-show slots. If we continue to ignore this problem, we are telling an entire generation that their time, plans and lives simply do not matter. I will not accept that and I urge the Government to stop managing headlines and start managing the system. The people of Ireland deserve better.”
“It is a barrier to employment, education and independence. In rural counties like Meath where I come from, public transport is not an option. It is a fantasy. People either drive or they are stranded. This is the case in many parts of rural Ireland. At this stage, we have all heard stories of people who have had to quit college because they cannot make the commute. We have heard stories of people who have had to put their lives on hold because they cannot wait for the retest. This is not acceptable in a functioning society. What do I propose? First, hold the RSA accountable. We should introduce financial penalties when waiting time targets are missed, just as we do with the NCT contractors. Second, we should expand the number of permanent driving testers, not temporary contracts or Band-Aid solutions.”
“At last count, more than 83,000 people were waiting to sit their driving tests while another 50,000 were stuck in the backlog of driving lessons and test eligibility. That is more than 130,000 citizens affected. These are not just statistics. These are young people who are unable to take up work in rural areas, parents who cannot drive their children to school or jobseekers who are forced to turn down offers because they cannot get a full licence in time. What is the Government's response? More promises of hiring 75 testers and reducing waiting times by September. Forgive me if I do not hold my breath. We have heard it all before. Time and again, the RSA has missed its own deadlines, yet there are no penalties or consequences, just soft excuses and hard impacts for working people. Let me be very clear. This is not just an inconvenience.”
“I want to voice the frustration of tens of thousands of people across the country who have done everything right, paid their fees, booked their tests and now are stuck waiting. They are waiting not days or weeks, but months. For some, it can be almost a year. Let us call it what it is - a failure of Government planning and oversight and a failure to prioritise the needs of ordinary people. In April, the average waiting time for a driving test stood at a staggering 27 weeks. That is more than double the RSA's target of ten weeks. The situation is even worse in certain parts of the country. Tallaght, Dundalk and Navan are seeing waiting lists of up to 43 weeks. That is nearly ten months of limbo.”
“Meanwhile, the Government is not only failing to hold the Commission President to account; it is following the Commission's directives without question. Too many of us have heard the constant stories from our civil servants that policy is not being made by our national Government but instead is being copied from Brussels. Take the Mercosur deal, for instance, which will decimate our farming industry overnight, if passed. Unlike the governments of France and Poland, our Government is not even willing to signal its opposition to the deal, much less to fight it. Following this breach of ethnical and administration standards, along with so many others such as those found by the former European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, I call on President von der Leyen to resign and I strongly urge the Government to echo this call.”
“I express my deep concern about the Government's unwavering deference to Ursula von der Leyen and her Commission. Considering the recent Pfizer-gate scandal, where text messages between Dr. von der Leyen and the Pfizer CEO regarding vaccine procurement mysteriously vanished, it is high time the Government began to chart its own course within the EU. While the European court's ruling is welcome, it does not go far enough in combating what can be described as the Commission's culture of impunity, a culture which promotes lack of transparency and accountability at the highest levels of the EU. In fact, this is not even the first case with von der Leyen, who faced a previous scandal over public contracts as German defence minister, even wiping her phone when German MPs sought to review her communications.”
“I am disappointed with this. Our energy vision is not good enough and nuclear energy is part of that. I wish to see our Government move towards that provision.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I can clearly see that we are going to rely on offshore resources going forward for the electricity provision for this country. That is not good enough. It will not do. As he well knows, many of these are at early stages. We are now in 2025. Many of these projects are going to be held up by planning. We are not going to reach that 2030 target. I am not saying that the discussion revolving around this nuclear option will happen within five years either but it is a conversation that this Government should be willing to have. We are already taking in nuclear power through the back door. We are outsourcing that responsibility to the French. Let us be brave. That is what leadership is about. Sometimes we have to take very difficult decisions to be of the best advantage to the people that we represent.”
“We need clean, reliable and consistent energy and nuclear can deliver that. France knows this. That is why more than 65% of its electricity comes from nuclear power. That is the power that we will be connecting to with the Celtic interconnector. Here is the contradiction: we ban nuclear generation while plugging ourselves into a system that runs on it elsewhere. That is not leadership; that is outsourcing our responsibility. If the Minister believes, as his predecessor said, that nuclear is part of our future, when will we stop pretending that it is not part of our present? Let us bring clarity to this conversation. Let us amend the legislation or at the very least open a serious national review on the role nuclear could play and should play.”