Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-27 ============================================================ Barry Cowen I thank the Chair and the Senators for the invitation to be here today and to meet and discuss the issues pertaining to what is an important moment associated with the Irish Presidency, which is almost upon us. I begin with a point that may seem obvious, but which I think is worth making. The role of an MEP is different from that of a councillor, a TD or a Minister, and I have had the privilege of serving in all of those roles. As a councillor, you deal with the immediate concerns of your communities. As a TD, you are a national legislator and constituency representative. In the European Parliament, you are assigned files, committees and legislative responsibilities with specific remits. Success in Brussels is not measured by who shouts the loudest or who produces the sharpest social media clip; it is measured by whether you can influence legislation, forge alliances and deliver outcomes. When I sought election to the European Parliament, I did so with a purpose. I saw enormous challenges and opportunities facing Midlands-North-West with agriculture entering a period of major transition and the midlands moving away from traditional fossil fuel power generation. I also saw opportunities with renewable energy, offshore wind and strategic investment through a pro-enterprise economy. Following my election to the Parliament, I secured places on three committees, which I believe reflect exactly those ambitions. On the agriculture committee, my priorities have been clear. The first priority, given its timeliness, was to retain Ireland's nitrates derogation. The recent extension was extremely welcome and reflected something important. When the Government, stakeholders, farmers and public representatives work together with evidence and a common approach, Ireland can and has delivered. The second priority is the next Common Agricultural Policy post 2027. I was honoured to be appointed as the lead negotiator of my group, Renew Europe, on this file, which means I am now deeply immersed in those negotiations. The Commission's initial proposal for a reduction of approximately 20% in CAP funding is not acceptable. However, it is not enough to bemoan that fact. It is incumbent on MEPs, particularly group leaders like me, to bring forward solutions. I believe I have already found two avenues to potentially fill that current shortfall. The €45 billion that came from the Mercosur concessions would see funds from the mid-term, as promised, front-loaded and fully ring-fenced for the Common Agricultural Policy. A further €48 billion can be secured through the wider partnership fund, which we can get into later. If we land both, the gap is essentially closed and there is scope to build further, for example to bring funding in line with inflation. The next issue under agriculture is generational renewal, an issue I am hyper-focused on. The average age of an EU farmer at present is 57. The Commission's CAP proposal rightly includes increasing the allocation for young farmers within CAP from 3% to 6%, with our own Government commendably seeking and considering an 8% spend. We need to see a proper balance now between retirement and succession measures to create space for younger farmers. MEPs regularly talk about generational renewal, but it is now incumbent on us to build structures that make it possible, including significant reforms in the area of land mobility, access to finance and pathways into farming, including for female farmers. When it comes to the international trade committee the first thing I must do is acknowledge that Ireland has benefited enormously from being one of the most open economies in Europe. In light of this, I think the Irish people understand that we cannot simply oppose every trade agreement. Equally, we cannot pursue agreements at any cost. Trade must be fair and that means ensuring reciprocity. If Irish farmers produce to world-leading standards, then imports entering our markets must respect similar standards. That is why I have consistently opposed elements of the Mercosur deal while at the same time working to strengthen safeguard mechanisms in the event that the deal should pass, and succeeded thereafter in strengthening monitoring arrangements from six-month to three-month intervals, lowering safeguard thresholds from 10% to 5% in relation to price and volume changes that may occur, while also ensuring that these thresholds would not be treated rigidly where evidence of sectoral damage exists. The EU-US and EU-UK relationships have also been a central focus of mine, with Ireland holding uniquely close ties with both. In the case of the US, maintaining stability and avoiding escalation on tariffs has been essential for Irish exporters in sectors ranging from agrifood and whiskey to aviation and pharmaceuticals. On the UK, the renewed positive relationship we have seen between it and the EU has created important momentum and political agreement about issues such as SPS arrangements and regulatory alignment. However, trade policy cannot simply be defensive. Opportunities elsewhere are considerable. The current geopolitical situation necessitates us to diversify strategically and means concluding trade deals in a more diligent and timely manner than ever. The EU-India agreement, for example, will bring major opportunities for Irish spirits, medtech and other sectors. I was happy to play a part in a final trade deal with New Delhi that helped to get the likes of that over line. Deals concluded in recent times include Mexico and Australia and there are more in the offing. As part of the international trade committee, I look forward to playing my own part in securing those deals that are near conclusion. I turn to housing. Housing fundamentally remains a national competence, and we should be honest about that. The Parliament's housing committee has identified two specific areas where Europe could have a meaningful impact in facilitating rather than obstructing housing. They include reforming EU state aid rules to allow far greater flexibility for approved housing bodies and increasing access for the European Investment Bank. I beg the Cathaoirleach to give me just one minute to conclude. --- 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/2026-05-27/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:00+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-05-27