Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-27
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Mark Duffy (FG), Labour Panel

I welcome the MEPs from Midlands-North-West. I put on record my support for the suspension of the Israel trade deal with the EU. It has been mentioned by many Senators. This is the mechanism that Ireland should use in supporting all MEPs. Do they all support that suspension? It is the most pragmatic approach to take in a European context. That is the best move forward. There has been progress on the occupied territories Bill here, but at European level, we can have an impact on what is a devastating humanitarian crisis that was totally avoidable.
I sit on the Oireachtas joint committees on transport and climate, energy and environment. As was mentioned previously, the western rail corridor is one of the key infrastructural projects that can reignite the west coast, connecting many counties. Like Senator Cosgrove, I would like to see it continue on to Sligo. What can we do as a State to engage in unlocking funding in Europe to ensure we can have nation-building projects such as the western rail corridor connecting Sligo all the way down the western seaboard?
A number of national road projects are also at different stages. I would like to see what can be done to ensure we use every financial asset within Europe to ensure their delivery. The region the MEPs represent is one of the worst for transport infrastructure. It is unique because it is sparsely populated without the large cities there are in other regions. Transport and connectivity are challenges. We need to see this as an opportunity. We must ensure we have investment and delivery.
What are the MEPs' thoughts on Ireland's influence at a bureaucratic level in Brussels? It has been reported that it is waning and declining. That again is a big problem because we have baked in representation at a political level but we need to have influence across all spheres of civic and political life in Brussels to make sure that Irish voices, opinions and positions are cutting through at every level. I would welcome the thoughts of the MEPs. I thank them for being here.

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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