Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a particular honour to contribute as Taoiseach to this year's Dáil statements marking Europe Day. It is a timely opportunity to reflect on our EU membership and on the European Union's role in the world. Ireland's EU membership over more than five decades has brought many benefits. It offers freedom for our citizens to live, work or study throughout Europe. It provides access for our businesses and farmers to the Single Market. It has extended higher social, environmental and consumer standards for our citizens. As a small country, we have also contributed positively to the development of our common home, and Ireland has played and continues to play a constructive role on the shared issues of importance for people in Ireland and citizens right across Europe.

This House will be aware 2024 is an important election year, when billions of people across the globe will be heading to the polls. The European Parliament elections being held in Europe’s 27 member states next month will be the tenth since the first such direct elections in 1979. They represent our collective commitment to the vindication of democracy and democratic values, when this has arguably never been more important. Europe is facing a profound moment in its history. The war in Ukraine has made us all reflect on the dangers and fragility of the world in which we live. A large-scale war on our doorstep is something many of us thought we would never see in our lifetimes. As Jean Monnet wrote, “Europe will be forged in crises, and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises.” The European Union’s effectiveness and resilience have been tested through the many crises of recent years, but the EU has acted collectively and decisively in supporting Ukraine and responding to the energy and inflationary shocks. In the face of the Covid pandemic, we jointly procured vaccines and life-saving equipment to the benefit of all our citizens. The EU played an effective global leadership role on climate action, without which we cannot protect our planet. We all now face the challenge of migration, and we need to work together to better manage and co-ordinate migration policy at a European Union level.

We cannot take our Union for granted. It must be nurtured and protected and it must evolve and renew in the face of new challenges. The European Union has come a long way since a small group of countries, weary from years of war, committed to peace and prosperity by joining together in a shared community. Ireland was part of the first wave of EU enlargement, joining 12 years after we had first applied. Last week, at Farmleigh House, I had the honour of marking the 20th anniversary of the EU’s single biggest enlargement, the Day of Welcomes, when ten countries became member states during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 May 2004. We are proud of the role we played then, and we are keen to continue to be champions for EU enlargement.

As it has proved for all member states, EU membership transformed our economy and society. There is no doubt in my mind that every European country deserves the same opportunity, providing, of course, that they meet the necessary criteria. I welcome the steps we have taken in the past two years to put Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia onto an EU path and to advance the candidacies of Albania, North Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This is positive momentum, which I hope will continue to gather pace. Recent events in Georgia are of concern. As an EU candidate, Georgia is expected to adhere to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The people of Georgia are demonstrating their commitment to democracy, to our shared values and to Georgia’s path towards the European Union. I am convinced further enlargement of the EU is a vital tool to ensure security, both in the EU and in the wider world. For the good of both our Union and new member states, EU accession is an exacting process. Candidate countries must show evidence they are ready to assume the rigours of EU membership, and member states have an obligation to support them in implementing reforms.

Ireland will soon open new embassies, further underlining our belief in the power of enlargement and the role we must play in supporting it. I have no doubt that the current batch of candidate countries will ultimately strengthen our Union and I look forward to welcoming them to our European Union family.

Ireland is a strong advocate for Ukraine’s EU perspective. Ukraine’s future is in Europe. Progressing work on EU accession sends an important signal of hope for a brighter future to the Ukrainian people. EU membership is also the best way to guarantee Ukraine’s future security. As we speak today, the situation on the ground in Ukraine is of grave concern. Russia is escalating its military aggression, attacking cities and civilian infrastructure, and there is an urgent need to provide Ukraine with the support it needs. I spoke with President Zelenskyy in my first full day in office to convey to him the message that this Government and this country stands with Ukraine and that we are fully committed to ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence are upheld. The brave people of Ukraine are not only defending their own country; they are defending shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, values that are crucial to Europe and Ireland’s future. It is therefore right that the European Council continues to make clear that the EU will stand with Ukraine for however long it takes.

The EU’s support is not just words. Since February 2022, the European Union has provided unprecedented political, financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic assistance. At April’s special meeting of the European Council, leaders emphasised the need to provide air defence to Ukraine and to speed up the delivery of assistance. The provision of humanitarian and civil protection assistance, such as generators and power transformers, will also be intensified. Ireland strongly supported the agreement in February on a €50 billion Ukraine facility, which puts EU financial assistance for Ukraine on a more sustainable and predictable basis.

Ireland and the EU will continue to advocate for President’s Zelenskyy’s ten-point peace formula, which seeks a just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. I look forward to working with our partners across the world to advance this peace plan ahead of the high-level peace conference to be held in Switzerland on 15 and 16 June.

When we consider the devastating conflict in the Middle East and the truly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, it is clear that this has tested the European Union and our unity. Consensus has been much more challenging to find among EU member states. States have differing perspectives, many of which may be linked to historical experiences. The lack of consensus has, unfortunately, undermined the EU’s credibility internationally - we need to be clear about that - as we urge others around the world, particularly in the global south, to support Ukraine. Ireland has been working hard within the Union to find consensus and it is very welcome that, at April’s meeting of the European Council, EU leaders called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. I have many times condemned the atrocity Hamas committed on 7 October, and I do so again. We also condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and agreed to impose further sanctions on Iran. I continue to call on all parties to show maximum restraint. Any further escalation will have catastrophic consequences for millions of civilians. That includes those in Gaza. I call again on the Israeli Government not to mount a military operation in Rafah. The humanitarian impact would be catastrophic and would be a serious escalation of an already highly volatile situation.

There must be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and a massive and sustained surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel must immediately facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access into and throughout the Gaza strip, in particular by road. This is clearly Israel’s responsibility under international humanitarian law. It is our view that the International Court of Justice has effectively ordered Israel to assist in the distribution of aid. The ICJ’s orders are binding and we call on Israel to implement them.

The European Union has also been very clear that a political process, based on the two-state solution, is the only way to deliver a just and lasting peace, with the State of Israel living in security and peace with the state of Palestine. It is the Government’s view that recognition of Palestine can be an important lever in efforts to revive the peace process. Recognition should be done in a way that can have the most positive impact on the situation on the ground. Our assessment is that that time is coming much closer. A number of countries recognising a Palestinian state at the same time will give weight to that decision. The Government is co-ordinating our efforts towards recognition of a Palestinian state with like-minded countries, including Spain. I discussed this again with the Spanish Prime Minister on Monday and we have agreed to remain in close contact. It can be a really important moment for a number of countries in the European Union to speak with one voice.

I think we should also look at what we can do in terms of the Single Market and competitiveness because last year marked the 30th anniversary of the Single Market, which in so many ways opened the door to Ireland’s economic success. Now, there must be an opportunity to continue to see how we can further deepen the Single Market. At the European Council meeting in April, I advocated strongly for tangible actions that could support deeper capital markets in the short term while cautioning against the overconcentration of EU capital markets in a small number of large financial centres.

Today, we recall the strength of Europe’s foundation, its enormous potential for positive influence in global affairs, and our steadfast commitment to its democratic ideal. Ireland is proud to be part of the European Union. It is built on a strong foundation of shared values and common purpose, rooted in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Today, we celebrate that.

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