Deputy Mary Lou McDonald- speech from 1 Dec 2022

President von der Leyen, through your leadership of the Commission, you have been a very good friend to Ireland, and demonstrated your desire to work with Ireland towards these common goals. This year, Europe has shown the power of its unity and its solidarity in standing squarely with the people of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's barbaric invasion has shocked the world. His illegal and unjust war must be stopped, and the horror and the bloodshed must end. In this time of crisis, Europe has come together in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they endure and as they courageously resist this grotesque war. This solidarity has sent a powerful message to Putin that Ukraine is not alone, and that Europe and Ireland will stand up for what is right. Recent years have also shown Ireland the importance of European solidarity as we weathered the storm of Brexit. There was never any such thing as a good Brexit for Ireland. The people of the North of Ireland voted to remain within the European Union, but were dragged out against their will by Britain, spearheaded by the Tories at the DUP's urging. Throughout years of fractious negotiations, the European Union has stood steadfast with Ireland and our determination to protect our peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, a peace agreement which will be 25 years old next year and which has transformed our island and shown that conflict can end and peace can triumph. Prior to the Good Friday Agreement, British Army checkpoints marked the border. British military installations built and reinforced from the 1970s onwards were symbols of division and conflict. And the invisible border on the island of Ireland has now become our greatest symbol of peace. So there can never be a return to the hard border in Ireland. And I welcome your forceful assertion of that reality here today, President. It is important to acknowledge today that the Good Friday Agreement is a mighty diplomatic success, not just for Ireland, but for the European Union as well. And for that, we commend you and we thank you. The European Union has been a critical partner for peace, providing political and financial support, leading to greater economic and social progress on an all-island basis. And I think it is important to particularly acknowledge and thank Michel Barnier, Maris Sefcovic and their teams for their determination and tenacity in holding firm in defence of the Good Friday Agreement, the protocol defending peace and progress in Ireland. And the EU's solidarity will remain essential to us as we continue to address the fallout of Brexit. Currently, the institutions in the north of our country lie dormant, as the DUP continue their shameful boycott. Workers and families in the north pay the price of not having an executive to work hard for them, to deliver for them in the current cost of living crisis. And it bears repeating that the protocol is working. It is necessary to protect the north from the damages inflicted on Brexit. It is supported, as you know, by the majority of democratically elected representatives in the north and indeed across the island. And while issues of the implementation of the protocol exist, they can be resolved by good faith engagement. So we must see calm and clear leadership from those at the negotiating table. We have heard words from the new British Prime Minister, Sunak. He is committed to restoring the political institutions and resolving issues around the implementation of the protocol. And, of course, those words are very, very welcome. But they must be matched by action and by meaningful talks between the British Government and the European Commission. President, I know it is your fervent desire to engage constructively. And that is precisely what is needed, not sabre-rattling and no more threats to breach international law. Ireland has changed, President van der Leyen, and is changing. And Brexit is responsible for some of that. It was a very significant decision taken by the European Union to state from the start of Brexit to our then Taoiseach Ndakenny, that in the context of Irish reunification, that the North will automatically rejoin the European Union and the North's citizens become full EU citizens once again. That, I believe, is a very important statement, recognising that the Good Friday Agreement sets out the next step on Ireland's journey, the ending of partition and the holding of referendums on reunification. And now the responsible thing for all of us to do is to prepare for democratic, orderly and planned constitutional change. President, you have acknowledged our great love of Saoirse, of freedom, our refusal to give up, our refusal to concede, our refusal to surrender to division or discrimination. And we have come a very long way, but we have another length of the journey to go. And just as the Commission played a key role in the peace process, I believe that the European Union can and will play a positive role in the last length of that journey to Irish reunification, a united Ireland within the European Union. We want to see the bridging. of the democratic deficit at a European level. We want to see advances on workers' rights, environmental protection, social justice, sustainable trade, ethical trade, research and development, all areas in which we can make progress. But they will challenge the European Union. They will challenge certain orthodoxies. And we must rise to that challenge. The climate emergency is an existential one. And as Ireland works to secure energy security, energy independence, as you have acknowledged, a greener future for younger generations, we know that solidarity is crucial in delivering the major changes that are needed to secure a really meaningful impact. Through working together on these issues, we can deliver tangible and lasting change to our citizens' lives. That is our vision for Europe. Madam President, we are an island nation at once on the periphery of Europe and at the heart of Europe. But to be Irish is not simply to be from a small nation. We are also part of a powerful global family. We are something of an outlier, as the European state, in that we were colonised. We were not the coloniser. We have seen conflict. We have seen partition. We have seen occupation. We are and we will remain a military neutral, a military non-aligned. And you quoted earlier on, Madam President, a very formidable Irish-American. I want to go to the other side of the world and echo the words shared in this chamber 35 years ago by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. And he described us well, I think, when he said this. He said, Ireland is the head of a huge empire in which Australia and the United States are the principal provinces. It is an empire acquired not by force of Irish arms, but by force of Irish character. An empire not of political coercion, but of spiritual affiliation, created by the thousands upon thousands of Irish men and women who chose to leave their shores or who were banished from them to help in the building of new societies over the years. In an increasingly complex world, in which our multilateral institutions must work and must prevail, the presence of military neutrals and non-aligned can be a critical interlocutor in the work of peace, disarmament and social justice. And so I would say that the next step is the recognition and acknowledgement of military neutrals and non-aligned within the European treaties, within the basic law. And of course, that must happen here also within the constitution of our own country. This would be a hugely positive step forward and it would add to the diplomatic repertoire and scope of the European Union. There is no doubt, Madam President, that there are many challenges facing Europe. Our shared commitments and values, if we are true to them, can show what can be achieved through solidarity and resolve and improve our citizens' lives. We remain committed to working with our European friends on these issues as we work for a better life for our people. So we now stand at a crossroads and we have decisions to make. The future of Europe can be one of retreat or one of hopeful progress. We must choose progress. A future in which citizens can be disillusioned or empowered. We must choose empowerment. A future of opportunities for the few at the top or a future of opportunity and prosperity for all. We must choose a race to the top. Now is the time to look forward to the future with ambition and hope. By working together we can build a new Ireland, reinvigorate the vision of Europe. Madam President, President von der Leyen, we still believe that we can make Ireland better. We still also know that we can help in making Europe better and we believe above all working together we can make the world better too. Go raibh míle, maith agat.