Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to take the opportunity to make some comments on Europe Day on behalf of the Regional Group, particularly on the 50th anniversary of Ireland joining the EU. I am conscious that I am one of Ireland’s lucky generation. The country joined in 1973, and I was born in 1977. I am part of the first generation to benefit enormously from being in the European Union. I am very conscious of that. I have witnessed first hand the transition of the country from national poverty to at least some modicum of national prosperity and hope. I remember the 1980s, as do most Deputies. I remember the mass emigration, the unemployment and the armed conflict. Those things have disappeared, not by chance but for a reason. One of the main contributing factors has been our membership of the European Union. Despite all its shortcomings and imperfections, as my colleagues have mentioned, the European project has been an overwhelmingly positive journey, both for this country and for the Continent as a whole.

I will give three examples. First, western Europe is at peace for the first time in centuries. There are 27 countries in the EU. One EU country has never gone to war with another. That seems like a very normal thing for us to say but 70 years ago it would have been unthinkable. Countries are clamouring to get into the EU at the moment, and with good reason. It is because they have seen how positive it has been for Ireland and they want to have a piece of that. We can look at the situation in Northern Ireland and how it has destabilised in the recent years. It emphasises how important the EU has been to this country and how positive its contribution has been. We can look at what is happening in Ukraine and Russia now to catch a glimpse of an alternate reality that could have been ours had the EU not existed.

Second, I am very supportive of the EU from an educational perspective. The Erasmus programme has already been mentioned. It has had a transformative effect on this country and on others across the EU. Tens of thousands of Irish students have benefited from the programme. It not only promotes education but also tolerance, understanding, cultural awareness and respect for diversity. I said last year that I am heartened that the Erasmus programme is continuing in Northern Ireland and that this jurisdiction is providing funding for that and long may that continue.

Third, I am supportive of the EU because of what happened in the context of Brexit. Without the EU’s influence and backing, the outcome of the Brexit negotiations would have been utterly different. When you contrast the negotiating styles and the ethics of both negotiating teams, I am very glad that Ireland aligned itself with the European Union. We had one negotiating team that was very cavalier and reckless and another that was very constructive and consistent. We have picked the winning horse in that regard, and long may we continue to do so.

It has been said that it has not all been plain sailing or good news. There have been ups and downs, particularly during the financial crisis. The financial crisis of 2007-08 in Ireland was largely home grown, but it was exacerbated by the troika. I refer here not primarily to the IMF but to the two European institutions, the ECB and the European Commission. I am happy to report that lessons have been learned from that. During the pandemic, there was a completely different approach. They did not choose austerity but, rather, financial liquidity. Countries were supported rather than being placed under more pressure.

If I were to make some suggestions, the European Union has shown a lot of significant support for climate change through the green deal it has brought in, but much more needs to be done from the point of view of a just transition so that Ireland can become a carbon-neutral society. There is simply just not enough money available to retrofit every house, to change every vehicle to an electric vehicle and to provide all these renewable energy resources that are so vitally important. More financial supports are needed from Brussels to support this transition.

It is important that we remember that if there are deficiencies in the European Union, which there are, we must recognise that they are not just their deficiencies but ours as well. If there is a fault with the European Union, it is just as much a fault of ours, because the European Union is not some obscure entity over in Brussels. We are the European Union and it is up to us to shape it and remake it as we see fit. Everybody here recognises that it is unfinished business. It is a work in progress. Ireland has to engage more and shape this Union as we want it to be. As a small, open economy, our future belongs in Europe and it is very much in our interest to develop it and to progress it as we see fit.

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