Thomas Byrne
Meath East · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We are very proud of the work they do in what are often very dangerous circumstances. Let us be 100% clear: our troops will only ever do peacekeeping, peace enforcement or conflict prevention in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and, of course, as with every action of this Government, in accordance with the Constitution.”
“To be clear on what our troops will be doing, they will be doing peacekeeping, peace enforcement and conflict prevention. That is what the law says; not what the Deputy imagines it to be. We are bound by our Constitution and international law. The legislation changes nothing in that regard.”
“We are bound by international law. We are bound by international law since our Constitution came into force and we continue to be bound by international law and always will be, no matter what happens to this legislation. International law governs what we do as a Government.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 140, 157 and 185 together. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister. A commitment to reform what is known as the triple lock was set out in the programme for Government.”
“-----in accordance with UN principles and, of course, in accordance with our own Constitution, which commits us to peace and friendly relations among nations. The triple lock is a statutory mechanism.”
“Switzerland, the classical neutral country that is not even a member of the European Union and will never join the European Union, it is so neutral and independent, accepts UN, EU and OSCE mandates. I understand the situation is similar in Austria, which is another neutral country. By the way, it is also similar in Germany.”
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“Article 2.2 of the Singapore agreement states: The Parties reaffirm their right to regulate within their territories to achieve legitimate policy objectives, such as the protection of public health, social services, public education, safety, environment or public morals, social or consumer protection privacy and data protection and the promotion and protection of cultural diversity. Article 10.3 of the proposed agreement with Mexico states: The Parties affirm the right to regulate within their territories to achieve legitimate policy objectives, such as public health, social services, public education, safety, environment, public morals, social or consumer protection, privacy and data protection, the promotion and protection of cultural diversity, or competition. There are many other references that I could quote.”
“The Chile agreement states: The Parties affirm the right to regulate within their territories to achieve legitimate policy objectives, such as the protection of public health, social services, education, safety, the environment, including climate change, public morals, social or consumer protection, privacy and data protection, or the promotion and protection of cultural diversity. The Vietnam agreement would need this legislation for us to ratify it. Article 2.2 states: The Parties reaffirm their right to regulate within their territories to achieve legitimate policy objectives, such as the protection of public health, safety, environment or public morals, social or consumer protection, or promotion and protection of cultural diversity.”
“I have previously quoted Article 8.9(2) of CETA, which provides: The mere fact that a Party regulates, including through a modification to its laws, in a manner which negatively affects an investment or interferes with an investor's expectations, including its expectations of profits, does not amount to a breach of an obligation under this Section. These agreements include clearly defined investment protection standards, including unfair, inequitable treatment and expropriation, and provide clear guidance to tribunals as to how these should be interpreted. I turn to Article 17.3 of the Chile agreement. I was not here when she said it, but Senator Black stated that certain matters were not in these other agreements.”
“CETA, in its very terms, defines indirect expropriation, specifying that non-discriminatory measures to attain legitimate policy goals regarding labour, health and the environment are not deemed to be indirect expropriation unless they are manifestly disproportionate. Some have acknowledged it, but other Senators have claimed, despite all this, that they would not be effective in practice. I also remind Senators that these agreements include provisions providing guidance to the investment dispute resolution tribunal, including in relation to the application of the right to regulate.”
“In the case of CETA specifically, the joint interpretative instrument confirms that: CETA preserves the ability of the European Union and its Member States and Canada to adopt and apply their own laws and regulations that regulate economic activity in the public interest, to achieve legitimate public policy objectives such as the protection and promotion of public health, social services, public education, safety, the environment, public morals, social or consumer protection, privacy and data protection and the promotion and protection of cultural diversity. Talk about crossing the t's and dotting the i's.”
“The agreements further clarify that the fact that a measure may negatively affect an investment or an investor's expectation of profits is not sufficient to say that the measure is inconsistent with the agreement. I draw to Senators' attention that the commitment to preserving the right to regulate, for example, in CETA, is not only reflected in the substantive articles addressing the issue but also in preambles to the agreements. I am more than happy to quote the various trade agreement if Senators wish me to.”
“The argument we have heard from some members of the Opposition in particular is that somehow this will affect our right to address housing and environmental issues. We heard that care workers will be at risk because of CETA. That is the latest scare story thrown into the mix. That is wrong. We are talking about agreements. I refer to all of them, not just CETA. I include the agreements with Chile, Vietnam, Singapore and Mexico. These agreements include articles which affirm that the parties preserve their rights to regulate for public policy purposes. They also provide that investment protection provisions shall not be interpreted as commitments on the part of governments that their legal frameworks will remain unchanged.”
“We must start by making that point. This is a pathway that has been suggested to us by the Supreme Court of Ireland. We are following it on the advice of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the lawyers and the trade experts. To describe what the Government is doing as reckless, mistaken or wrong is completely incorrect. Senator Black was wrong on one point. None of the trade agreements mentioned in any way affects the right to regulate or the right of the State to decide its own public policy. I have stated that ad nauseam , and am more than happy to take the time that the Seanad offers to continue to state that into the record. I agree with Senator McDowell on one point. He is right.”
“Justice Hogan, though not very well. He taught me law. He never once described a Supreme Court decision in the terms in which the Senator has described this one. We must remind ourselves why we are here. We are here because Patrick Costello won, and the State lost, a case about the ratification of CETA and the constitutionality of the agreement. It is a fact that Mr. Justice Hogan set out a pathway, if the Oireachtas or the Government wish to take it. It was agreed by a majority of the justices of the Supreme Court. That pathway is exactly what we are providing with this legislation. We should respect the Supreme Court in the same way that the Supreme Court has respected the prerogatives and privileges of the Government, this House and the Dáil. Mr. Justice Hogan was clear that this is a matter for the Oireachtas.”
“I will try to deal with the various points that were raised. Senator Collins made the mistake that Senator McDowell made on Second Stage, which is to assume that the position started with the decision of Mr. Justice Charleton. The Senator makes worthy points, but when you are talking about constitutional law and trying to interpret the Supreme Court, you do not start with the dissent; you start with the majority. I wrote down the various points that Senator McDowell made about this Supreme Court judgment. I never in my life heard such a hammering of the Supreme Court as I heard at points of his speech. He said that Mr. Justice Hogan's decision is worthless and is not worth the paper it was written on. He accused the Supreme Court of Ireland of advising on proofs. He said it was mistaken. I also know Mr.”
“There is a range of different political views, but they are deeply engaged on various files in the European Parliament on various laws. They report back to their constituents. They all appear regularly in the media. That is wonderful because the European Parliament is our representative body and it is so important that our MEPs continue to do that work in order that people can see that they are part of the democracy and they are connected to it, and that the European Union institutions work for them.”
“It was at that congress, which was a celebration of the Irish State, that the ideas began to be germinated for the European Union as we now know it - a Union built on peace, as John Hume said - the celebration of difference, and working together for the betterment of citizens. It is really important that we value that. The Irish people certainly do value it. We must accept that it is a democracy and that while we might not agree with everything that the people in it do, we have a choice as to the governments that we elect and the European parliamentarians who we elect. It is very important that we engage with that choice and make sure that we put the people in who will do the work on our behalf. I will make one final point. Overall, the crop of MEPs that we have now is absolutely excellent.”
“We look back to the founding of the European Union and the various founders who brought the European idea together after the war and we see how they were inspired not just by the ideas of peace, friendship and putting weapons beyond any possible use against each other through the European Coal and Steel Community, as they also looked for inspiration to an Irish saint, St. Columbanus. A celebration of the 1,400th anniversary of St. Columbanus was held in Luxeuil in France in 1950. The Irish Government was represented there, along with the founders of the European Union. The future Pope John XXIII was also there as the Papal ambassador to France.”
“This is a democracy and it is really important to distinguish the people in a democracy from the democratic institutions themselves. We can vote in and out the people at election time but we should guard the institutions for dear life. The institutions protect us and give voice to our democracy and they are only as good as the people who fill them. We fill these institutions with the people who we elect. We are marking today a moment of historic promise. Robert Schuman's declaration 76 years ago gave voice to an idea that the nations of Europe could choose co-operation over conflict and that the peace built could be made durable through institutions, law and the patient work of democratic governance. This idea has never been more tested and it has never been more necessary.”
“During our EU Presidency term, ambassadors of EU member states in Ireland, accompanied by the Irish ambassador in the relevant EU member state capital, will visit counties across Ireland to undertake a programme of public engagements focused on Ireland's role in the European Union. I was delighted to announce a new initiative, under which each county in the State has been paired with a specific EU member state during our EU Presidency term. This programme of events will strengthen links between counties across Ireland and other EU member states. This engagement matters and the Seanad should be a partner in it. Communities have a stake in what we do during our EU Presidency. They deserve to know about it, to shape it where they can, and to take pride in it when our EU Presidency succeeds because, ultimately, we are Europe.”
“It is important that the Government communicates Europe to communities not in the language of Council conclusions, legislative dossiers and trilogues but in the language of jobs, which is what the competitiveness agenda is about, supports for farmers, which is what the Common Agricultural Policy is about, opportunities for young people, which is what the Erasmus programme is about, and the infrastructure that connects us to our neighbours and our markets, which is what the Celtic interconnector is about. This year's Europe Day celebrations include a schools visit programme, pairing Ministers with EU ambassadors.”
“A central priority for Ireland will be the protection of democracy and fundamental rights. Across Europe we are witnessing increasing disinformation, attempts to undermine democratic institutions and efforts to sow division in societies. Democracy cannot be taken for granted. It is not that long in place in this country and we are one of the oldest democracies in the world. Democracy must be actively defended and renewed. As I already noted, I have been visiting communities across Ireland, meeting local groups, speaking in schools and universities and engaging with business and local media, to talk about our EU Presidency and what EU membership means for Ireland.”
“I recognise this and I want to say directly that as Ireland moves into the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, I hope to deepen the engagement between this House and the work of the Irish EU Presidency. On 1 July, Ireland will take on the Presidency of the Council for eighth time. Our EU Presidency will take place at a moment more complex, more consequential and, in some respects, more turbulent than any of our previous EU Presidencies. Ireland will bring to our EU Presidency a strong commitment to an open, outward-looking and values-based Europe. We will work closely with our European partners to advance competitiveness and simplification, to deepen the Single Market, to strengthen Europe's security and resilience, to support enlargement of the EU and to champion the EU values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
“It is always important to remember this is a democracy and no European law can be passed except by agreement between the European Parliament and the Governments through the Council of Ministers. We had a very good example of that this morning with regard to the AI omnibus regulation. Many Members are aware of this and perhaps fed into it. MEPs from Ireland have worked very hard on this file. It is very good that this democratic process is more alive to citizens than it has ever been. The Seanad's work on EU affairs plays an important role in the process of bringing Europe to the people. The scrutiny work done here of Commission proposals, the transposition of directives and the work of the Government in transposing those directives, is genuinely valuable.”
“The European Movement Ireland poll results remind us of the strong mandate we carry on behalf of Irish citizens when it comes to our EU membership. We must continuously engage with Irish citizens on the benefits that our EU membership offers to Irish households and businesses and I encourage every Member of the Oireachtas to take part in this effort. The Seanad is a Chamber of reflection, scrutiny and considered democratic debate. These qualities are, in my view, precisely the qualities that European democracy needs right now. One of the persistent challenges of European governance, acknowledged by the institutions themselves, can be the distance between the decisions taken in Brussels and Strasbourg and the lives led by citizens in the member states.”
“It is always important to remember that we are the European Union. I am very conscious of the findings of the European Movement Ireland island of Ireland poll published this week. The poll found that more than eight in ten people on this island support EU membership. In fact, when we take out those who responded they did not know it is closer to nine out of ten people. This is a remarkable figure, among the highest in the European Union. The same poll, however, also points to a sense of disconnection in other respects, which we have to be mindful of. I have visited communities across Ireland to raise awareness of Ireland's upcoming EU Presidency. I have deeply valued hearing the views of citizens on Ireland's EU Presidency and their thoughts on our EU membership.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanad as ucht an gcuireadh chun labhairt libh inniu. Is mór an onóir dom, mar Aire Stáit agus mar iarSheanadóir, labhairt anseo le Seanadóirí ar ócáid Lá na hEorpa. I am grateful to the Seanad for the opportunity to mark Europe Day in the House. I thank the Members who have ensured that the occasion is observed here, as it will be in Dáil Éireann later today. Tugann sé deis dom machnamh a dhéanamh agus labhairt leis na Seanadóirí go díreach ar an mbomaite trína bhfuil muid ag maireachtáil faoi láthair agus ar na héilimh a chuireann sé ar an Stát agus ar an Oireachtas. Is é sin an méid atá ag baint le Lá na hEorpa: it gives us an invitation to pause and consider, and to ask honestly what our relationship with the EU is, why it matters and what we are prepared to do to strengthen it.”
“That is an extraordinary achievement and shows that the diversity of countries actually finds expression in the European Union, and the Irish language is the classic example of that.”
“Táimid tar éis conradh a dhéanamh maidir le haistriúchán agus ateangaireacht a bheith ar fáil anseo in Éirinn do na cruinnithe a bheidh ar siúl. Anois tá an Ghaeilge, sa Chomhairle ar a laghad, comhionann leis na teangacha eile ar fud an Aontais Eorpaigh. It is a matter of considerable pride to me that the Irish language is an official language of the European Union for the first time in an Irish Presidency. We have recently concluded a contract for the provision of interpretative services at the Presidency council meetings for Irish to be available. I can go to a council meeting of the European Union since 2022, and now for the first time in a Presidency, and speak Irish and my Lithuanian colleague on one side can hear me in Lithuanian and my Cypriot colleague on the other side can hear me in Greek, English or whatever they want.”
“The challenges that Ireland's EU Presidency will face in competitiveness, in security, in upholding our values, in enlargement and in negotiating a new long-term budget for Europe are real and serious. We need leadership, judgment and determination. We are ready. On Europe Day, let us remember that we are Europe - we are the European Union. Is é mo thuairim go mbeidh Uachtaránacht na hÉireann ar cheann de na hUachtaránachtaí is éifeachtaí a chuir an tír seo ar fáil do Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh. It is my firm belief that Ireland's EU Presidency in 2026 will be one that truly delivers for Ireland, for Europe and for generations to come. It is a matter of considerable pride to me, as an Irish speaker, go mbeidh seo an chéad Uachtaránacht ina mbeidh an Ghaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh.”
“The European Union is a guarantee - and we know this guarantee - that no EU member state faces the challenges of our time entirely alone. When Brexit happened, there were MPs in parliaments all over the European Union who all of a sudden became experts on the Irish Border, the North of Ireland and our specificities. It is so encouraging to meet them still, and they are very proud of the work they did. Ireland has always punched above our weight in Europe, since the very day we joined. We have shaped European Union legislation, led European Union negotiations, built European Union institutions and championed European Union values, while also fighting for our national interests at every turn. We have done it as a small state with big ambitions and a genuine commitment to the European project. This is exactly what we will do from 1 July.”
“There are different political viewpoints from Ireland in the European Parliament, but all the MEPs are visible, working on particular files and doing great service for the country. They are in touch with people. People know what is happening in Brussels and in Strasbourg more than they ever did, and that is welcome because it adds to the democracy. It reminds people that this is a democratic project and that no law can pass through the European Union unless it is approved by the European Parliament, by the member states. The Commission merely proposes. The democratic process, of course, requires compromise, patience and goodwill from 27 very different countries, but the European Union is our institution. It is an expression of the values we share. It is a framework for acting together in the world.”
“On Saturday this week, we mark the 76th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. We mark it in a world that Robert Schuman would recognise in its instability, its danger and its need for the kind of creative, principled co-operation he proposed. No institution is perfect, and the EU is not perfect. It moves sometimes frustratingly slowly. However, we must always distinguish, I believe, between the institutions of the European Union and the people we elect to put in the institutions. We should guard the institutions with dear life, and then we can vote for the people whom we want to represent us in the institutions, either through governments or through the European Parliament when those elections happen. I pay tribute - I have done this already in the Seanad - to the current crop of MEPs.”
“The EU Presidency happens in Ireland as well as in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg. I am committed to taking the EU Presidency to communities across the country. The Presidency belongs to all of Ireland. We are the European Union. The county pairings programme, which pairs individual Irish counties with EU member states, is one way of doing this. It is creating new connections, new conversations and new relationships at a local level that will outlast the Presidency itself. I have been struck by the enthusiasm the county pairing project has generated. The Communicating Europe initiative is another. It funds local civil society organisations to engage their communities on EU issues. More than 270 events are planned throughout Ireland during the Presidency, ensuring that this is a genuinely national moment.”
“When I first took the office of Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, the advice was that this had now reached a crisis point and that we had to do something about it. That is why I launched the Career for EU strategy, which we have continued to push, and we now see the results of that. One other area we emphasised at the time was the provision of more seconded national experts into the European Union system. Now we have the highest number of seconded national experts per capita of any member state in the Commission. These are striking figures, and this is something I am pleased to see success on. It is a project that is very close to my heart. These figures are also a vote of confidence in the European project from a new generation of Irish people who want to shape the European Union's future from the inside.”
“The officials who draft proposals, shape regulation and turn political agreement into operational law are central to how the Union works. The more Irish people in these roles, the more the Irish perspective is heard and understood. I am pleased to report genuine progress. Ireland has increased the number of permanent officials at the key entry grades in the European Commission from 30 in 2022 to 43 by the end of last year. Earlier this year, the Commission ran its main graduate-entry competition for the first time in seven years, and more than 1,700 Irish citizens applied. This is the tenth highest application rate per head of population in the entire Union, so we have come a long way.”
“The conflict in Sudan has sadly entered its fourth year, and has become the world's worst humanitarian and protection crisis with over 150,000 dead, a figure estimated to be much higher in reality, and almost 12 million Sudanese forcibly displaced. We remain resolute in our commitment to ensuring this crisis is not sidelined or forgotten. We regularly raise this at EU level. We will continue our active role on the political and humanitarian tracks when we assume the EU Presidency later this year. The Presidency is not only about the six months in which we hold the chair; it is about building Ireland's long-term influence and presence in the European institutions. That is why I believe that the Career for EU strategy, which I launched in 2021, when I was previously Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, matters.”
“All parties are obliged to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure during conflicts. We also demand the protection of UN peacekeepers. I am deeply saddened by the death of six UNIFIL peacekeepers and the injuring of others in Lebanon. When I went to meet my counterpart in France recently, the first thing I mentioned was that France had recently suffered the deaths of two soldiers and expressed my sympathies to the government of France and to the families. We know Irish families have had similar experiences over many years there and we must constantly remind ourselves of the sacrifices our peacekeepers make. I offer my condolences to the families, comrades and nations of those who were killed.”
“We will continue to press for appropriate EU action. If we do not act, the viability of the two-state solution and the credibility of the EU is at stake. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Iran, Ireland has been closely engaged with its EU and wider European partners in monitoring and reacting to the developments. We must see the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping to mitigate the economic impacts, which are affecting households across Europe. We have jointly welcomed the ceasefire agreements in the Gulf and the Levant while calling for further negotiations to turn these into lasting peace agreements. Israel and Hezbollah must fully maintain the ceasefire in Lebanon. Ireland has been at the forefront in calling for international law to be upheld at all times.”
“The majority of Gaza residents are displaced in dangerously unsanitary conditions, while access to essential supplies and services are severely restricted by arbitrary regulations imposed by Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, the situation in the West Bank is deteriorating, where Israeli military operations have caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes and significant displacement. Extremist settler violence is also rampant and continues in an environment of impunity. Ireland and Spain first called for a suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement in February 2024. In June 2025, an EU review concluded that Israeli actions breached Article 2, which is the human rights clause of the agreement. At the most recent Foreign Affairs Council, Ireland called for the suspension of the agreement.”
“In December, we launched the €1.7 billion Defence Sectoral National Development Plan 2026–2030, which includes major capability upgrades across land, air, maritime and cyber domains. It represents an increase of 55% in capital funding allocated to defence up to 2030 and is the most significant investment package in the Defence Forces in the history of the State. We will adopt a constructive, positive approach to the development of the proposed new European security strategy, including during the upcoming Irish EU Presidency. The Government has consistently been a strong advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people and we continue to use every opportunity within the EU to stress our grave concerns about the situation in Palestine. Over six months into the ceasefire, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire.”
“We believe this is a practical measure to keep progress moving forward while preserving unanimity for the final decisions. In the context of a deteriorating, and increasingly contested international security environment, the need for greater international engagement and co-operation, especially through the EU, is vitally important for Ireland. Ireland is supportive of the initiatives at EU level to increase resilience and capabilities of member states. We see value in member states and partners working together to mitigate the threats and challenges we collectively face. Ireland is investing significantly in its own security and defence architecture to confront new threats and to protect our citizens and our economy. We have increased national defence spending by 43% since 2020.”
“That conviction will underpin Ireland’s work during our EU Presidency as Ukraine continues its fight against Russia’s illegal and barbaric war. Moldova too has shown deep democratic courage. Its people voted in favour of an EU path for their country, despite relentless external interference. Montenegro might be small in population but it is determined in purpose and it is working to meet the criteria for membership. Albania is advancing. The western Balkans and the former Yugoslavia must not be left waiting indefinitely. As holder of the Presidency, Ireland will work to sustain the momentum on enlargement and to ensure that bilateral disputes cannot be allowed to slow down individual candidacies. We support the use of qualified majority voting when deciding to open negotiating clusters, as proposed by Germany and Slovenia.”
“That is too long. The enlargement process is one of the most powerful instruments the EU possesses for security, stability and the long-term prosperity of our Continent. Growing our Union is the best way to secure our Continent. I believe we have a generational opportunity and a generational obligation to keep moving forward. I was in Kyiv six weeks ago to mark St. Patrick’s Day with the Ukrainian people and our diplomats in Kyiv for the occasion of the first official St. Patrick’s Day reception held at Ireland’s Embassy in the city since it opened in 2021. During that visit, I met with senior figures in the Ukrainian Government and gave them Ireland’s personal assurance that we will do everything we can during our EU Presidency to advance Ukraine’s accession process. Ukraine’s destiny lies in the European Union.”
“We will address challenges to the rule of law, including democratic backsliding, wherever they arise. I will steer the ongoing work in this area, as chair of the General Affairs Council, making full use of the rule of law toolbox, and by paying close attention to the findings of the European Commission's annual Rule of Law Report. The rule of law is not a peripheral concern. It underpins the effective functioning of the Single Market. It is essential to the Single Market and I always say Ireland's own adherence to the rule of law over many decades has been essential to our economic success. The rule of law and our values is what makes EU membership worth having and we must maintain it with conviction and without compromise. Values also means enlargement. It is more than 13 years since a new member state, Croatia, joined the Union.”
“This is something that is on the agenda regularly at the General Affairs Council. I welcome the agreed ambition to conclude negotiations on a youth experience scheme, a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement and on linking our respective emission trading systems by the next EU-UK summit. In a challenging geopolitical environment, we see the UK as a vital, like-minded partner and it is in our mutual interest to have a close relationship also in the area of foreign and security policy. The EU is, first and foremost, a union of values. They are set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. They are not aspirational guidelines. They are legally binding on us and they are the foundation on which everything else is built. We will be an unambiguous champion of those values.”
“In response to the impact of events occurring in the Middle East, the Government has responded with a package of substantial measures to help alleviate the pressures on Irish households and businesses. In the medium to long term, decarbonisation and the adoption of green energy will be central to our energy security and competitiveness, and this has been a key focus of the response at EU level. The Government welcomes the Commission’s package of proposed measures recently outlined in the AccelerateEU communication. We will take this work forward during our EU Presidency, and we are committed to making meaningful progress on the grids package and other key files, which will expedite the deployment of renewables and bolster the EU’s security of supply. The renewed agenda for EU-UK co-operation will be a priority during our EU Presidency.”
“Ireland will approach this with seriousness, with ambition and with a commitment to outcomes that work for all member states; including the smallest, the most peripheral, and those most dependent on cohesion funding. We have also set out our national priorities last year, which take a somewhat second place as we take on the Presidency. However, those national priorities are very clear. Central to them will be the Common Agricultural Policy and funding for research and innovation through the Horizon programme based on excellence. We will work very seriously on this. Energy policy is, of course, to the fore again. The conflict in the Middle East has again precipitated an affordability crisis with a direct impact on Irish households and businesses.”
“Another critical area of work for our Presidency, which falls under the General Affairs Council and then with the leaders, will be the negotiation of the new multi-annual financial framework, MFF, which is the EU's long-term budget for 2028 to 2034. The Commission has proposed a budget of €2 trillion to support competitiveness, decarbonisation, security, cohesion and Europe's global role. The shape of the budget will determine what kind of EU we will have for the next seven years and it will be one of the most consequential pieces of work that any EU Presidency undertakes. I am more than happy to come into the Dáil, the Seanad or a committee at any point to update Members on the work as this negotiation continues.”
“Recently, along with six member states in total, I have written to Commissioner Dombrovskis, calling for simplification of permitting and planning rules in order to help us to continue to build more and more houses. That agenda is gaining some considerable traction around the European Union. The Single Market is the engine of our success. Deepening it and completing it in services, in digital and in capital markets is an Irish priority of the longest standing. The savings and investment union, the so-called EU Inc. proposal for company law and progress on the capital markets union are all central to our competitiveness agenda.”
“As Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, I sit on what is known as the General Affairs Council of the European Union. During the EU Presidency, it will be my job to steer this simplification agenda on the General Affairs Council, where it sits. Our primary focus and my primary focus is not deregulation; it is on better regulation. It is cutting red tape. It is about ensuring that the rules we have serve their intended purpose but do not create unnecessary costs and complexity for business. It matters for Ireland too. Simplification can help us address some of our most pressing domestic challenges in infrastructure delivery and housing.”
“It has proposed ten simplification packages, known as omnibus packages, to date, covering sustainability reporting, due diligence, chemicals, digital regulations, environmental rules and more. Today, we got political agreement between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament on the AI omnibus package. Irish members of the European Parliament and the Council were involved. I thank the Cypriot Presidency for its work. This is a democratic process that is happening here to deliver not just easier rules for business but, in this case, more protection for minors and other people affected by nudification use in AI. The savings for businesses that are estimated from the simplification process are about €12 billion a year in the packages that have already been proposed by the Commission.”
“We intend to deliver on that agenda. We will spare no effort in doing so, and we will rely on a matching level of commitment from other member states, from the Commission and from the European Parliament. Simplification of EU rules is a top priority for this Government, and will be a top priority for our Presidency. The European Council, the democratically elected leaders of the member states of the European Union, has called for a simplification revolution. That language reflects a genuine political consensus around that table, that the regulatory burden on businesses and citizens must be addressed. The Commission has set a target of reducing administrative burdens by 25%, and by 35% for SMEs, by the end of its current mandate in 2029.”
“Europe faces real and serious competitiveness challenges, exacerbated by the fallout of the conflict in the Middle East, to which I will return. While our Single Market is very successful, it remains a work in progress. The IMF has estimated that internal barriers to trade, in the Single Market, amount to the equivalent of tariffs of 40% on goods and 110% on services. Energy costs are elevated and continue to rise. Investment in research and innovation has lagged. The regulatory burden on businesses, particularly on SMEs, is too high. At the informal European Council in Cyprus, European leaders signed the One Europe, One Market roadmap to address these issues. This has given us firm targets, and a clear timetable. There are approximately 28 proposals, which the joint statement called to be agreed, by the end of the Irish EU Presidency.”
“What I can say today is that our work is organised around three broad thematic pillars - competitiveness, values and security. This reflects the pillars of the EU's strategic agenda for 2024 to 2029. The pillars are not independent of one another. They are interconnected and dependent. Without security, there can be no prosperity. Without competitiveness, we cannot sustain our societies, our jobs and our economies. Without values, without democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, none of it matters, and none of it, quite frankly, exists. Competitiveness is what ensures that the European economy thrives, and that its citizens prosper. It is what delivers good jobs, good wages, and a good of life, and it is a genuine priority for Ireland's EU Presidency. The context is clear.”