European candidates answer our questions: Ciarán Cuffe

Ahead of the European Parliament elections on June 7, we sent a questionnaire with the same eight questions to the candidates running in the Dublin constituency.

Here are the responses from  Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party)

 

It has been 50 years since Ireland joined the EU; has joining had a positive or negative impact on Ireland?

EU membership has been transformative. Ireland is a more attractive place to work and do business, with better opportunities, rights and services for the people who live here.

Looking ahead, I want to see the EU investing in Ireland’s green future: supporting home retrofits to lower energy bills; boosting energy security with more offshore wind and other renewables; and improving the rollout of EV charging infrastructure.

That’s what I plan to pursue if I’m lucky enough to be re-elected as Dublin’s Green MEP.

 

Would you support Ursula Von Der Leyen in a 2nd term as EU Commissioner?

No. I did not vote for her the last time, and I will not vote for her now.

Her response to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has been appalling, and she has proven herself totally unfit to represent a Union founded on the values of peace and human rights.

 

Would you work with MEPs such as ones from the AFD in Germany or the PVV in the Netherlands if you are elected? 

No. Far-right parties want to reverse decades of progress on equality and human rights and bring Europe back to the dark ages.

I have ruled-out working with them full-stop, and I have called for all Irish MEP candidates to do the same.

 

What has the European Union done for the average voter since the last round of elections in 2019?

We have delivered a package of green laws that are creating good jobs for the economy; providing cheaper, greener energy for lower bills; and reducing pollution in our air and water.

I personally negotiated a new EU law to increase retrofits, lower energy bills, and focus retrofit funds for people living in energy poverty who will benefit most.

The Greens approved a universal charger for your phone and laptop; a Right to Repair for consumers that will help end throwaway culture; and better worker rights with new gig economy rules.

 

What should be the main priorities of the European Parliament over the next 5 years?

Europe is in a housing crisis, and the EU must do more to help solve it. Across Europe, people are facing increasingly unaffordable rents, eye-watering house prices, and rising energy bills.

If re-elected, I will push for a European Housing Fund to close the investment gap in social and affordable housing, and for changes to EU state aid rules that are acting as barriers to action.

I will also push for stricter oversight of short-term rental companies like Airbnb, and measures to counter the effectives of speculation by investment funds that are driving up house prices.

 

Migration and security policy will likely dominate the next term of the European parliament. What influence will Ireland have in shaping those policies?

Europe needs fair and efficient migration policies that treat people with dignity and respect. Irish voices in the EU will shape this, and it’s important that we stand up against ‘fortress Europe’ policies like building walls and child detention.

We need pragmatic and practical solutions that build solidarity and respect for fundamental rights.

Irish MEPs will also influence EU security policy and as a neutral country, it is important that we advocate for peace around the EU decision-making table.

 

Italy’s foreign minister recently called for the establishment of a European Union army; do you agree with the idea?

Absolutely not.

The EU is a peace project – peace and human rights should be the driving force.

Irish MEPs can and should stand up against any creeping militarisation in the EU.

 

Would you describe European Union sentiment in Ireland as very bad, bad, good, very good, or excellent?

Polling indicates that people in Ireland feel very positively about the EU.

However, we also know that a lot of people feel like they don’t know enough about how the EU works or about the impact it has on their lives.

I think it is important that we do more to bring the EU closer to citizens.