Europe Day: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-07
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Pat Casey (FF), Labour Panel

I welcome the Minister of State to the House again today. I thank him for being here yesterday evening as well. Europe Day offers this House an opportunity for calm and considered reflection on Ireland's place within the European Union, on what that relationship has delivered for the State and on the responsibility that now rests with us. That reflection is particularly appropriate in 2026 as Ireland prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July. The Presidency is not ceremonial, it is a position of trust, requiring impartial judgment, and a clear focus on the common European interests at a time of profound geopolitical uncertainty.
The Taoiseach has described Ireland's role during the Presidency as acting as an honest broker, bringing people together, building consensus and ensuring that Europe delivers practical outcomes for its citizens. That approach reflects Ireland's long-standing tradition within the Union - principled, constructive and grounded in respect for institutions, partners and shared values.
It is also work recalling briefly how Ireland arrived at this position. When Ireland joined the European Communities in 1973, followed by the signing of the Treaty of Accession by Fianna Fáil Governments led by Jack Lynch, and endorsed by an overwhelming 83% of the Irish people, we were economically constrained, outward migrating and exposed by narrow external dependencies. Few decisions in the history of the State have been so transformative. Membership did not remove these challenges overnight but it fundamentally altered the course. Participating in the Single Market expanded opportunities, diversified trade and strengthened economic resilience. European investment supported infrastructure, education, regional development and skills, thereby helping Ireland emerge as a modern open economy. That choice was rooted in political foresight. As the then Taoiseach, Seán Lemass, stated in 1962, in the world as it is today, a small nation such as ours has no future outside the framework of a united Europe. More than 60 years later, that judgment continues to stand the test of time.
Our membership has also shaped Irish society in important but sometimes understated ways - strengthening workers' rights, advancing gender equality, improving environmental and consumer protections, and widening access to educational mobility. These gains are now embedded in everyday life and can be overlooked precisely because they have become normal.
More recently, Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have brought the value of European co-operation into focus. Brexit represented one of the most serious challenges faced by the State in modern times. As the only EU member state sharing a land border with the United Kingdom, Ireland's position was uniquely exposed. Throughout that process the European Union demonstrated sustained and practical solidarity, protecting the Good Friday Agreement, prioritising peace and stability on this island and ensuring Ireland was never left to negotiate alone.
Covid-19 was a different test but an equally revealing one. Joint procurement of vaccines, a co-ordinated public health response and collective economic recovery measures demonstrated the strength of shared capacity in moments of crisis. These were not abstract but were benefits that directly protected lives and livelihoods in Ireland. Taken together, Brexit and Covid reinforced the central lesson that sovereignty exercised in isolation increases vulnerability while sovereignty exercised through partnership strengthens resilience.
That lesson is especially relevant in the area of peace and security. Ireland's policy of military neutrality remains the core element of our foreign policy identity but neutrality has never meant disengagement from security realities. Today's threats of war on the European Continent, cyberattacks, disinformation, energy insecurity, organised crime and challenges to a rules-based international order do not respect borders or traditional definitions of conflict. Through the European Union, Ireland co-operates on civil protection, cybersecurity, humanitarian assistance, the resilience of critical infrastructure and the defence of international law. The EU's approach to security is not about militarisation, it is about preparedness, co-ordinated in a collective resilience in an increasingly unstable world.
Ireland's own experience of peace on the island underscored the value of that co-operation. As has been mentioned twice so far, John Hume described the European Union as the best example in history of the world of conflict resolution. Shared EU membership created space for dialogue, diminished the Border both physically and psychologically, and supported peace through programmes such as INTERREG, PEACE and PEACEPLUS, which continues to invest significantly in reconciliation and cross-Border co-operation.
The European commitment to peace and security is also evident in the EU's response to Russia's illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. This is now the fifth Europe Day marked by a war on our Continent; a war not only against a sovereign state but against the principle that European people should be free to choose democracy and self-determination.
As Ireland approaches the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, these experiences will guide our priorities. The Presidency is a role of stewardship. Ireland will host an extensive programme of meetings across the country, including major summits and ministerial gatherings. We will work to ensure that the Presidency delivers for citizens while safeguarding unity at a time when Europe faces multiple pressures.
Public support for membership of the European Union in Ireland remains strong. Recent polling shows continued high levels of support, alongside a clear message from citizens that concerns around the cost of living, migration, security and trust in institutions must be addressed. That support is encouraging but is not something that we should take for granted. That responsibility extends beyond the institutions, particularly to the younger generations. Many of Ireland's young people have known only the benefits of EU membership such as freedom of movement, educational opportunities, consumer protections and peace as the norm. None of these outcomes were inevitable and none are guaranteed. They exist because previous generations made deliberate political choices to co-operate rather than withdraw, to share sovereignty rather than to surrender influence and to invest in the institutions rather than to abandon them. The real danger today is not opposition to Europe but complacency about it.
Europe Day is not simply an act of remembrance. It is a reminder that progress is neither automatic nor inevitable and that benefits bring with them obligations. As Ireland takes on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we do so with the same confidence and purpose with which we brought this State into Europe over 50 years ago, determined to lead, to safeguard peace and stability and to serve the shared European interests. That approach reflects Ireland's past, serves its present and safeguards its future.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:54+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-07