Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-27
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Barry Cowen

I have old scores to settle here.
We live at time of extremes on both the left and right, and they are becoming louder and, frankly, much bolder. Simple slogans travel quickly, unfortunately. Fear and anger travel quickly but governing and legislating are far more difficult than protesting. Compromise is much more difficult than outrage and delivery is harder than both. After 30 years or more in public life, I remain convinced of something simple: good politics is rarely loud politics. Good politics is serious, practical and evidence based. It is built on relationships, compromise and delivering results. That is the approach I have tried to bring and to grow throughout my career, and it is an approach I will continue to bring during Ireland's Presidency and beyond.

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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