Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is important we send strong voices to Europe to let people know the facts on issues such as youth unemployment and the banking debt. The latter is not our debt and we need a better deal that does not choke the economy, our people and the country's future.

The European elections are important, but I am disappointed with the Bill, which changes the constituencies following a reduction in the number of Ireland's MEPs from 12 to 11. The constituencies will be Dublin, South and Midlands-North-West. Currently, there are four constituencies, those being, Dublin, South, East and North-West. This is an attack on democracy and reduces the democratic will of the Irish people in Europe.

I mentioned Councillor O'Farrell, who will not be contesting the European elections, only the local elections in the Clontarf ward.

In Dublin, the population per MEP will be 424,356. In Midlands-North-West, the figure will be 409,276. In South, the figure will be 419,520. How in God's name can the people of Ireland be represented with numbers like these? God help the poor MEPs when they are elected. They will have their hands full.

The Bill is not acceptable. Germany has one seat for every 852,539 people. Malta has a seat for every 69,352 people. God help the German MEPs. How would the Minister manage to deal with the likes in Kilkenny? He believes he has a big constituency.

Ireland used to have an MEP for every 381,897 people. Now, it will only have an MEP for every 416,615 people. We must be careful not to reduce the level of democracy. If there is a disconnect between people and their parliamentarians, be they in the Dáil, Dublin City Council, like Councillor Damien O'Farrell, or the European Parliament, it will be a threat to society and democracy.

We need voices in Europe that will be heard and that will challenge the current movement towards a European Union superstate. People are very concerned about that. People want Europe, its peoples and its economies to work together, but they do not want to be forced through the back door into the creation of a European superstate. This morning I heard Angela Merkel making the point that she is getting a bit cheesed off with the rest of Europe because we are not moving faster towards integration. We need to watch this as well. We need voices out in Europe that will deal with the banking issue and the ECB issue. Many people will be concerned about the direction of the European Union. We all want a Europe based on democracy and inclusion, respecting different views and different cultures, but some people out there have this view that we are now bumping into one big superstate, dominated by the big players. That is not acceptable to the people of this country, but it is also not acceptable to the people of Europe. It is unacceptable to have 5.6 million people under the age of 20 unemployed. We have 60,000 young people in this State on youth unemployment, and that is not acceptable either.

The militarisation of the European Union worries me, as someone who serves on the defence committee in the Oireachtas, because we hear a lot of talk about battle groups. I have concerns about that. Ireland has a strong tradition in the United Nations of peacemaking and peacekeeping, and that is the tradition we should follow. That is why we are respected all over the world. I urge the Minister and the Government to be very careful about getting too involved in battle groups. People are also very concerned about some of the foreign policy issues as well. It is important to remember the great anti-war campaigner, Margaretta D'Arcy, who is locked up in Limerick Prison. This woman should be released. She is anti-war, she is a peace campaigner and she should be released now. This is all linked with the whole debate about the militarisation of the European Union, but also the militarisation of Shannon Airport. It was a previous policy of the Labour Party and its members, before they jumped into bed with Fine Gael, that we were going to stand up for people like Margaretta D'Arcy. Now they run away and hide and avoid the issue. I will not avoid the issue, and I will stand up for people like Margaretta D'Arcy and people who are fighting for international peace.

This Bill is closing down democracy. I want a country and a State that is built on democracy and that respects the rights of people. This Bill is reducing the number of seats, and that is why I will oppose it strongly.

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