European Union
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-07
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Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central

I again thank the Deputy. There is huge merit in what he is suggesting. The point he made on education, information and assistance is critical. He is right that we must continue to raise awareness.
We must continue to ensure that there are Irish people in good quality jobs in the European Union. The Deputy is 100% right that our influence in Europe has never been more needed in a global world where there is uncertainty. We are building new friendships and new alliances. I commend the Deputy on his role as chair of the European grouping in the Oireachtas. I wish David Geary every success in his new position and thank Noelle O’Connell for what she has done as European Movement Ireland is a critically important organisation.
The Deputy is correct that our officials are doing extraordinary work. That is why one of the three key pillars of the careers in Europe strategy is about promoting the reform of the European Union’s recruitment process to ensure we have more Irish graduates and others getting posts in the institutions. We firmly believe that the structural issues require permanent solutions. We continue to lobby, alongside like-minded member states, for the adoption of selection competitions based on nationality for underrepresented countries. The Deputy’s points are well made.
As a country, we have welcomed the decision by the European Parliament to hold nationally based competitions to address the chronic underrepresentation of three member states, namely, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Austria, among the staff. As the Deputy knows, the legality of this decision is being challenged in the Parliament by Spain and Italy, and it is before the Court of Justice. Ireland has intervened in the case in support of the Parliament, and the case is ongoing. A positive outcome to this legal case would set a precedent for the use of nationality-based competitions by the Commission and other institutions.
The Deputy is right about the need to continue raising awareness so that we can have good quality jobs for Irish people in the EU institutions. I commend him on bringing the matter before the House.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-07