Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)

Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo le Seanadóirí inniu. Gabhaim buíochas leo as ucht na deise seo chun Lá na hEorpa a cheiliúradh anseo sa Seanad. Mar is eol dóibh, mar Bhaill den Teach seo, beidh comóradh 75 bliain Fhorógra Schuman againn i mbliana. This visionary proposal signalled the start of European integration and acted as the earliest foundation of what is now the European Union. It is often said that the Schuman Declaration was a "peace project". That was John Hume's inspiration. The first two sentences of the Schuman Declaration read:

World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.

The contribution which an organized and living Europe can bring to civilization is indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations.

Seventy-five years on, the spirit of the Schuman Declaration remains just as relevant today. It is through collective effort and collaboration that the European Continent can achieve peace and prosperity.

In recognising the value of peace and prosperity, I am deeply conscious of the ongoing war against Ukraine. On Saturday, I returned from an official visit to Ukraine, during which I visited both Odesa and Kyiv. In truth, it was a humbling experience, but it was also a visit that gave me hope for Ukraine's future as it continues its journey on the EU path. I welcome the commitment, as do my colleagues in Ukraine, of the United States to work towards peace in Ukraine, in particular the proposal for a partial ceasefire. The support of the US since the start of the full-scale invasion has been essential. I welcome as well the agreement on minerals between the US and Ukraine, which specifically refers to Ukraine's European Union pathway and states that nothing in that agreement should affect that, acknowledging that Ukraine is working towards that. I discussed that with my counterpart, deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna, last week in Kyiv. I am encouraged by the renewed bilateral engagement and the US commitment to peace in Ukraine. Despite the barbaric attacks launched by Russia on the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian people and their Government remain resilient and resolved. Ukraine sees its future as European and, despite Russia's illegal and unjustified invasion, the work of the Ukrainian Government and Parliament continues. God knows how in the circumstances but it does, and they work towards deeper European integration. We want to see Ukraine in the EU. That was the message I had for my counterparts in Ukraine along with my Lithuanian colleague, deputy foreign minister Sigitas Mitkus, who accompanied me.

The response of the European Union to this war of aggression has been striking in its unity and resolve. The European Union and its member states collectively have provided more support to Ukraine - financially, militarily and diplomatically - than any other partner. This war, and the threat posed by Russia, is an existential issue for Ukraine but it is also a major challenge to the security and safety of Europe. We want to see an end to the conflict. We want peace, but how we make peace matters too. Ukraine must be centrally involved in any peace negotiations and supported to be able to engage from a position of strength. There needs to be a clear European role as well.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine has changed the European security environment dramatically. The EU, its member states and our neighbouring countries are faced with a range of threats and challenges to our security that are acute and growing.With an exclusive economic zone of close to seven times our land area, maritime security is an essential domain of strategic importance to Ireland. In fact protecting and defending this State and ensuring our armed forces are supplied with the resources they need are a mark of our independence and the difference between being an independent country and being a country under Britain, as we were for many years.

Recent geopolitical tensions have placed the topic of security and resilience of our critical undersea infrastructure to the fore, with increased media attention and mounting concerns for critical undersea infrastructure across industry and at state level. The Government is committed to ensuring that the right systems, resources and tools are in place to defend the State and our independence. We need to meet the challenges of the future and to work with international partners in a manner consistent with our policy of military neutrality.

Investment in our defence and security acts as an insurance policy for our State and its people. The programme for Government commits to a major transformation and modernisation programme for the Defence Forces, which is already under way and includes urgent capability development. Ireland has already seen significant increases in national defence spending in the past few years. That has allowed us to procure much-needed capabilities. We are, in effect, investing in our neutrality.

The Government is also increasing investment in the countering of cyber and hybrid threats, such as disinformation, and protecting our critical sub-sea infrastructure. We welcome the publication of the European White Paper on Defence – Readiness 2030. We see the value in EU member states and partners working together to mitigate the threats and challenges we collectively face as democracies. No state acting alone can address the entirety of existing and emerging security challenges and Ireland stands ready to contribute constructively to developing the EU’s security and defence.

From modest beginnings, the European Union has grown into a Union of 27 nations, diverse, democratic and united. Ireland, in particular, has grown over the last 50 years since we first joined the European Economic Community. Through our membership, we have a seat at the table and an amplified voice at international level. Time and again, we have been told that this is some threat to or imposition on our sovereignty. It is not; it is a sharing of sovereignty among all the countries of the European Union which gives us all a stronger voice in the world.

The benefits of EU membership are both wide-ranging and deeply felt. From the right of Irish people to live and work across Europe to economic growth driven by the Single Market and access to European funding programmes, such as Erasmus, all of these have enriched many lives. Over the last 50 years, we have strengthened our human rights record, progressed civil and social rights, introduced gender equality legislation, which we continue to do, improved the protection of workers’ rights and the rights of marginalised persons and become a more tolerant, kinder and inclusive country. The people of Ireland recognise this reality. According to the most recent Eurobarometer poll, an impressive 91% of Irish citizens believe that we have benefited from being part of the European Union. When we talk about the EU, it is important that this State gives total support to the institutions of the European Union because those institutions are our protection. The people in the institutions are a matter for the democratic elections, whether that is the European Parliament, which is directly elected, the Council of Ministers, which is appointed by the governments elected by the peoples in the member states, or the Commission, which is appointed by those democratically elected governments. The institutions are very important to us and we must continue to take a strong interest in who we send to those institutions. That is the choice of the people.

As a Government, we believe that every European country deserves the same opportunity we had to join the European Union, provided they meet the necessary criteria. I commend the efforts in Ukraine and Moldova to implement accession-related reforms, especially given their very challenging circumstances. The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, said to me last week that Ukraine is working hard on the reforms it needs and wants, which will benefit its economy and ultimately get the country into the European Union. She asked me to remember that in the context of a war and full-scale invasion of her country, this requires a serious effort. It is a huge amount of work and I thank the Government of Ukraine for what it is doing, as I do others who are helping it.

The countries of the western Balkans, Montenegro and Albania in particular, are taking crucial steps to seize the new momentum they have long awaited. As well as being the EU’s best tool to consolidate democracy, peace and stability in Europe, enlargement will grow the market and deepen the talent pool. This is necessary for our competitiveness and continued economic prosperity. Ireland is about to open new embassies in Belgrade, Chiinu and Sarajevolater this year and we have created a new fund to help candidate countries to reach EU standards. These actions are concrete demonstrations of our commitment to EU enlargement and a recognition of the important role that enlargement willplay in our Presidency of the European Union in 2026. At its heart, the European Union is a community of values, enshrined by Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, which many people in these Houses voted against. However, adherence to the rule of law is core to those values. It forms the bedrock on which the EU is founded and is key to the EU’s good functioning, including for the application of EU law, the protection of human rights and the operation of the Single Market. We have seen some regrettable backsliding on the rule of law in certain member states. This represents a serious challenge to the EU. It is essential that the EU has the necessary tools to monitor rule-of-law developments and respond to these challenges where they arise. Citizens across the Union have the right to feel protected from those who threaten our values, even if those threats come from their own governments.

Ireland has been a strong proponent of refocusing the EU agenda on competitiveness, productivity and removing barriers within the Single Market. We view the Single Market as being critical to improved competitiveness. A properly functioning Single Market, particularly for services, will be fundamental to Europe’s long-term competitiveness in the era of fierce global competition. Addressing the EU’s competitiveness challenges, including the regulatory burdens faced by small and medium enterprises, will be critical to generating improved and enduring competitiveness in the EU and delivering prosperity for citizens. Ireland welcomes the focus the von der Leyen Commission has placed on this. It is of strategic importance that the EU develops resilient and integrated energy networks to maximise our renewable potential and enhance security of supply. Ireland has called for increased investment in energy grids, interconnections and digital network infrastructure.

The EU has reached a pivotal point. We now face significant challenges, from climate change to digital transformation and wider geopolitical tensions. In responding to those challenges, we need a well informed and engaged public. Education is essential for Irish people to actively engage with political processes both at national and EU level. Let us be hopeful too because more than once in the past, by working together and communicating with one another, we overcame enormous challenges, most recently, the global pandemic.

As we reflect today on 75 years of European unity and 52 years of Irish membership of the European Union, we recommit ourselves to the values that have underpinned Europe’s success, namely, peace, democracy, solidarity and the rule of law. We look ahead with optimism and resolve to the continued evolution of our Union.