After surviving the dual calamities of the Jim Gavin presidential campaign and the handling of the fuel protests, Taoiseach Micheál Martin got his moment in the sun.
On July 7th, the Taoiseach addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg as part of Ireland’s European Union presidency.
After a high-profile meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the European Council Antonio Costa in Dublin at the start of July, the Taoiseach spoke in Strasbourg about the legacy of John Hume.
In his speech, he said that Europe, as a whole, must do more to punish the Israeli government in light of the ongoing war in Gaza, which has killed over 60,000 people.
In his address, Martin told MEPs, “time and again, we have seen that when we work together, Europe can achieve incredible things.”
With the 10-year anniversary of Brexit having just passed (and the UK about to endure its 7th Prime Minister in a decade), Martin took a not-too-subtle dig at the project.
He said that in the 1970s, Irish people decided to put their faith in a shared European history.
“They rejected the negative and destructive visions of a Europe of permanent national jealousies and competition – of permanent insecurities and falling international influence.”
During the speech, it was a Spanish socialist who asked the Taoiseach, “what kind of Europe are we building?”
Spanish MEP Iratxe García, of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (Labour’s Spanish cousins), said that Europe must suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement, an issue with Martin referenced in his address.
While Martin didn’t call the Israeli actions in Gaza a genocide, there was no ambiguity on Garcia’s part.
Garcia said, “the EU’s lack of action is what allows Netanyahu to continue to violate every red line.”
Martin’s party colleague and fellow Corkman Billy Kelleher spoke about his friend of 40 years, but said that Ireland, as a whole, needs to make their “red lines a little less red.”
The Fianna Fáil MEP said that Ireland and the EU need to “get real” on issues of defence and budgeting.
“We need to sustain a dynamic, progressive union. We need to invest in our defence, invest in our values.”
The Cork MEP, who attempted to become Fianna Fáil’s candidate for the Áras last year, stated “we can’t let a tinpot autocrat hold the EU to ransom” in reference to Vladimir Putin.
Back home, the government’s green agenda leaves a lot to be desired, and Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan held the Taoiseach’s feet to the fire in front of a live European audience.
The Sinn Féin MEP accused the government back in Dublin of “embracing the deregulation agenda and giving them (Big Tech) more freedom to destroy our planet.”
She noted that Ireland is the home of tech giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google, but questioned Ireland’s self-professed status as being leaders on data protection.
Boylan said that European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen “can’t run roughshod over our values.”
While the European Parliament was nice and air-conditioned, the same cannot be said for the rest of Europe.
A week prior to this publication’s visit to France, a heat dome engulfed France in near-record high temperatures, with French authorities noting that there were 2,000 excess deaths in a single week.
Belgian MEP Sara Matthieu said that Ireland must use the EU Presidency to investigate its relationship with data centres.
The Green MEP noted that data centres have a maximum temperature at which they can operate before it becomes unsafe for them, but noted that humans aren’t afforded the same luxuries in workplaces across Europe.
“Computers don’t pay tax or die – old people in attics do,” she told the Parliament.
Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said, “if you succeed, we will all succeed.”
While he was broadly welcoming of Ireland having the hosting gig, he said that housing should be a priority of the next few months.
The Labour MEP said that during Martin’s speech in Dublin to kick off the EU Presidency, he failed to mention housing.
Ó Ríordáin said that the Irish Presidency “must lead in making housing an urgent priority.”
In June, various MEPs visited Dublin to get a sense of the homeless crisis that has engulfed Ireland; Ó Ríordáin put on the record that Gardiner Street contains 10% of Ireland’s overall homeless population.
“The failure must stop here,” he said.
“Ireland, the country of coffin ships and memories of no blacks, no dogs, no Irish, must show leadership and remember our past.”
During his speech, the Taoiseach paid tribute to John Hume, referring to him as a giant and a peacemaker.
He said he was working to establish an award in Hume’s honour, with the award to be dedicated to citizens who perform outstanding duties in the name of European values.
The Taoiseach explained that the prize will be awarded to a European who has “contributed to the values which John advocated for and to the further development of our Union.”
“John had the vision to see the narrative of Ireland’s path to peace and prosperity in the wider narrative of Europe. As he saw it, the road to lasting progress is built in shedding our sweat together, rather than our blood.”
Ó Ríordáin ended his speech by quoting Hume himself, stating, “you can’t eat a flag.”