Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Today, on the eve of Europe Day, of course we look at the positives that Europe has offered Ireland and that Ireland has offered Europe in return. I want to look at something in my brief of further and higher education. This relates to a proposal about research that has come to light and causes me concern. We know how important research is. It looks at planning for the future and how best we can equip ourselves to do so. Previously, there was a huge focus on climate change, and rightly so. Climate change is affecting all of us at this very moment. It is also something we know will increasingly impact our surroundings and is something research needs to be very clearly front and centre in tackling. It seems very clear that we are now on a very different path. We need to be realistic about the path the EU is on right now , which is a road to militarisation. No EU citizens have been given a say on this matter. I want to particularly focus on the White Paper on dual research. Use of the term "dual research" removes the distinction between funding for civil and military research at the EU level. That is what the Commission wants us to focus on. It wants us to focus on dual research. Many among Irish researchers and academics have huge concerns about this. A total of 75% of the submissions on the White Paper came from Ireland, once again highlighting our concerns and those of many within Irish research and academia about this. Ireland does not do military research; we are a neutral country. The mixture of funding for civilian and military together could impact on our future funding as well. Previously, our focus had been on climate change. Surely militarisation and a focus on military research is the antithesis of that.

Everything we say on Europe Day is said in the shadow of the genocide currently unfolding in Gaza. The Minister will recall in October when we clearly heard from Ursula von der Leyen, who told Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel could rely on the EU. The people of Ireland were very clear in their condemnation and concern in that regard. We hear frequently that the EU needs to defend its values, but the EU also needs to look at what exactly those values are. We hear about freedom of speech, but look at what is happening to students across Europe who are speaking out against the genocide in Palestine. We also hear about freedom of the media, which is extremely important and is protected by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Where is the outrage about the continuing imprisonment of Julian Assange, who we know is facing 175 years in prison? The courts have asked the US to show and to prove that he will not be in harm's way. However, we have seen revelations that show the CIA had made serious plans to kidnap and even to assassinate him. The silence of the EU and Ireland is absolutely deafening when it comes to the human rights of Julian Assange.

European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, recently called on Europe to turbocharge defence industrial capacity over the next five years. She said Europe cannot be left behind in an era of rearmament. Those words frighten me. I feel like Europe has forgotten the ashes from which it once emerged. It feels as if some in the Commission have forgotten the lessons of history. On a day such as today, Europe Day, we should recall the devastation of the two world wars. Learning the lessons of history is not simply knowing what the victorious powers were or being able to cite how many people died in the First World War and Second World War. Learning the lessons of history is ensuring we never repeat such a thing. We need a Europe that works for peace and promotes diplomacy, but right now, we seem to have a Europe that is veering off course.

See this speech in context