Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Irish people firmly believe that this country's place is in the European Union. That position has been reaffirmed repeatedly over the past 50 years, notably and most recently by the vast majority of people in the North, who voted to remain and who utterly rejected Brexit. I join in the commendation of the European Union institutions on their role in supporting that majority of political, civil, business and community voices across Ireland, including the North, throughout the post-Brexit debacles. The EU has stood steadfast against any hardening of the Border on the island of Ireland and in defence of the principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Good Friday Agreement resulted in the European Convention on Human Rights, ECHR, being incorporated into the domestic law in the North, a convention, ironically, in which the British State itself was involved in drafting. That some Tories, 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement and some 72 years after the ECHR was ratified by Westminster, now advocate abandoning that convention shows that what we have learned, above all else, is that shared membership of the EU, North and South, is compatible with and complementary to the Good Friday Agreement and that the Tory-DUP Brexit is not. The Brexit withdrawal negotiations have been concluded. It is now time to establish the institutions of the North and for all parties to deliver for their constituents and push back against the most recent round of callous, cruel Tory cuts.

Europe Day, if we are honest, probably means little to most EU citizens - I doubt the majority even know it is a thing at all - but it does provide a space for leaders across the European Union to analyse progress made and to reset our vision for the future.

The European Union is absolutely correct to give unequivocal support to Ukraine in response to unprovoked and unacceptable Russian aggression. In Ireland, we can and should go further in response to the Russian invasion. The most recent remarks from the Russian ambassador say, I believe, that it is time for him to be sent home. Arising from this illegal war, the EU has again found itself at a crossroads.

As we encourage all parties to the Good Friday Agreement to recapture the spirit and determination of 1998, I appeal to the European Union to also seek to capture some of that spirit and lean into peacebuilding as opposed to militarisation. There are some within the EU who see seismic events as an opportunity to advance long-held ambitions to increase militarisation and undermine national sovereignty. It is particularly unfortunate that they have found truck with some in Irish political life who see this as an opportunity to water down our long-standing military neutrality that has served us well.

I contend that recent events underscore the need for Ireland and the EU to stand as champions of peace and democracy, not only in Europe but across the globe. We rightly stand with Ukraine in both our words and actions, and those words and actions must be replicated in respect of other parts of the world, particularly in support of the Palestinian people and against Israeli apartheid.

As in other areas, Ireland can help lead Europe to the right position. Our tradition as a neutral and independent State and our experience of colonialism and occupation and of peacemaking must be harnessed for the better good of our own country, Europe and the world. Europe Day provides an opportunity. Just as we have always made it clear that our place is in the EU, so also have the Irish people been categoric that the EU must be a vehicle that respects national sovereignty, upholds the principles of democracy and rule of law and puts the interests of citizens, workers, families and communities ahead of the interests of corporations. Europe Day provide us with an opportunity to reflect and to rededicate ourselves to those ambitions for both Ireland and Europe.

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