Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament
Seanad Éireann — 2026-09-23
============================================================

Garret Ahearn (FG), Administrative Panel

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank the three MEPs, Barry, Regina and Aodhán, for being here today.
First, I know we did it in this House in June but, considering Barry is here, on behalf of the House, I pass on our condolences to him and his family on David's passing. I am sure the summer was difficult but in time, I am sure Barry will reflect on his career and the service he gave to this country with great pride.
This is the third debate we have had with all MEPs across the country. This one was not as boisterous as some of the others but it has been as insightful. The role they play is so critical to the future of our country and sometimes, from a layperson, it is not often seen. These debates that we have in this House give the public the opportunity to understand the important work that the MEPs do. They themselves do it in their own media performances and getting messages out but when this started in the last term, it showed an important interaction between this House and the work they do in Europe.
No doubt the past couple of months and the next couple of months have been a busy time for these MEPs, but a lot of the work they do is representing Ireland on a global scale, and particularly as we hold the presidency in promoting Ireland. A lot of that is unseen and underground and although they represent different political groups in Europe, their ambition is similar. It is for the betterment of this country and the people on this island.
I wish them well over the next couple of years. They are almost halfway through and elections come quicker than they think. They work extremely hard. I ask them to continue that work into the future because it is at a European level that most of the geopolitical changes we are seeing right across the world are managed.
The work the MEPs do at European level is critical for the future, not just for Ireland or the European Union but the whole country. I wish them well and thank them for being here today and respecting this Chamber. Two former Members are here, which is great, and a former Leader. I wish our MEPs and their families well because it is a difficult job and they are away a lot.

---

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/2026-09-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-23