An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-01
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Aubrey McCarthy (IND), University of Dublin

I reiterate what my colleague Senator Paul Daly said regarding the electric chargers and price-gouging, as he called it. It seems like we were all encouraged to switch to electric vehicles, EVs, or hybrid cars because they were very cost-efficient, etc. Now that we have all done that, it looks like the pendulum has swung and charging is more expensive than diesel or petrol. We certainly need to look at that.
As Senator Andrews mentioned, there are huge opportunities as we taken on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the eighth time. Yesterday, I was delighted to attend an event at Technological University, TU, Dublin with the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne. He spoke to ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from all over Europe. It was a reminder that even though Ireland is a small nation, we have a loud voice and it carries influence on the central European stage. He spoke, under the motto, "Ní neart go cur le chéile", which means "strength with unity", about how Ireland will lead the EU Presidency for the next six months. We are going to focus on competitiveness, values and security. It is worth reflecting, when we look at that, how far we have come and what European membership has done for Ireland. It has transformed Ireland. Everything is not perfect but it has brought peace, opportunity and prosperity. I see that our nearest neighbour, which opted out of Europe, is now looking at different ways to get back in. We have come from being one of Europe's poorest countries to being one of its most dynamic economies and we should never forget that it was solidarity that helped us get there.
The Presidency comes at a challenging time and Europe continues to face Russia's war in Ukraine. The Leader knows I am the convener of the Ukraine-Ireland parliamentary group. We need to make sure we rise to the challenge to defend and stand with Ukraine during this. Over the next six months, we also have a unique opportunity to help shape Europe for 450 million European citizens. It is a remarkable responsibility and one we should approach with confidence. I wish the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, and all of the Irish officials representing our country every success as they lead Ireland in the European Union Presidency.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-01