Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-05
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Joe Conway (IND), Cultural and Educational Panel

I will not take overly long to make my few remarks, which I do on behalf of the Seanad Independent Group. I am delighted to be here to speak on this momentous occasion of the inception of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Minister of State outlined some of the cares and worries that we might have as we go into this.
That should not be hostage to the fact that we should be taking on the job with great pride in our status as a long-established European nation for 53 years since 1973.
At the time that we joined we were also joined by our nearest neighbour, the United Kingdom, part of which is a land neighbour with a border. One of the most regrettable things that has happened in those 50 years is the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union and all the travails and difficulties that generated for us here. Both governments, in fairness to them, particularly our own, set about minimising the disjoin that happened at the time in a magnificent way. It is a great signal of the efficacy of our foreign affairs team, the Government and the junior Ministers at the time that they were diligent and resolute in the way they stuck with it in the most trying circumstances, watching the faux nationalism that exhibited itself across the sea. That gives us great courage in going into this.
The one thing that we can be certain of going into the Presidency is that there will be an awful lot of uncertainties. We need only look at what is going on the Middle East at the moment, something that we did not really foresee happening two weeks ago. We have scuaine mhór long línte amach, a big line of shipping tankers stretched out at the Strait of Hormuz, not able to go anywhere. Behind them is an even longer line of shipping filled with fertiliser trying to get to these islands to enhance the work of farmers at this critical time of year. Both of those products, oil and fertiliser, have implications for the whole question of food security during this summer and later into the winter. None of us can get an accurate picture of prognostication and what might happen in those times. However, we cannot but be fearful because we heard the other day a famous personage say that the British did not have a Winston Churchill in No. 10 Downing Street. By the same token the Americans do not have an FDR in the White House. While those things persist, we are facing some serious challenges.
Is cúis áthais dom a chloisteáil go mbeidh an Ghaeilge in úsáid go forleathan san Uachtaránacht seo. Táim an-bhródúil as sin. Go n-éirí go geal leis an Rialtas san obair sin atá os a chomhair. It is great to see Irish having the status of an official language and I hope that the Government loses no opportunity to promote it for the people here at home, and also to make our European neighbours conscious of the fact that minority languages are not necessarily languages that will die, although the history of Celtic languages tends to suggest that most Celtic languages are ag fáil bháis or dead, for example Manx and Cornish. Hopefully, ours will survive and strengthen as a result of its status in Europe.
I want to talk briefly about maritime security, which will be a big issue during the Presidency. We have a strategic zone around our country which is, by area, similar to the strategic zone that stretches from the state of Maine on the Atlantic coast of the United States down to Florida. That gives an indication of the size of that strategic zone around the country and what is held within it or beneath it. We have considerable difficulties in policing it and guarding it against what we call bad actors. It will be a great opportunity to network and work with our European neighbours to solidify our defences in that regard because there are threats.
We have seen the odious illegal invasion of Ukraine a few years ago. Last night I read in one of the American newspapers that in the four years of war there, the Russian special military operation has succeeded in a net gain of approximately 7,200 sq. km, which might be the size of Laois or something like that, with all due respect to Laois. It is now four years after the invasion and we have seen the resolute defence by the Ukrainians. We have to be conscious of the €90 billion that Europe has spent. That is critical because we can no longer be sure of the American generosity and stalwart support that Europe used to get from the Americans.
Lastly, I go on to the values and what makes us Europeans. Most of us in this Chamber would consider ourselves good Europeans. I like to think that I am. I do not know about all the people in parties and Independents. We all have nuanced views of Europe. The one commonality is that we adhere to and love the whole idea of freedom, and the European values of respect for law, human rights and the dignity of the person. I have no doubt that the Government here in its work over the six months of the Presidency will network furiously and diligently to build up those things. As the Minister of State said, there is some democratic backsliding, which is very worrying. In the meantime, there is an election coming up in Hungary and many people here will be wishing for an optimistic result. However, democracy will prevail, whatever the result, and those are the things the Presidency has to deal with.
Go n-éirí go geal leis an Aire Stáit agus lena chomhghleacaithe sa Rialtas. I wish him every success.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:44+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-05