Competitiveness, security and values are the key themes of Ireland’s Presidency. Each of these themes should be intertwined with our goals for a decarbonised, energy abundant, peaceful EU and peaceful world but, as we have seen from some Government pronouncements, these values are open to interpretation. I think we should be competing to have the most energy-efficient buildings, to have the fastest public transport; that real security means energy security through actioning renewables and that our values should be to protect those suffering from the depredations of war in Gaza. I hope the Government will agree with those points but some of the announcements that has come from the Government in recent days lead me to question that. These values demand a commitment from our politicians at both a national and a European level not to allow populism to strip away our empathy or to keep us from making our societies more climate resilient. I worry that as part of a broader headlong rush into that deregulation agenda, the Government will favour profit ahead of people and ahead of planet in our Presidency’s plans. While the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade was talking up competitiveness earlier this week, she failed to mention that the European Commission has opened infringement proceedings against Ireland for not meeting our climate deadlines. The Irish Government has missed its 31 December 2025 deadline to submit its draft building renovation plan to the European Commission, which is a core requirement under the energy performance of buildings directive. With the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council warning that a failure to take climate action could cost the State €13 billion, it is crucial that the Government prioritises climate in its EU Presidency plans. The Irish Government needs to get its house in order and it needs to get our housing stock in order at the same time. We need to ramp up renovations, particularly for those living in food poverty. Energy costs for householders have spiked and the crisis in the Middle East, coming on the tail of the Ukraine war, shows that sadly this will not be the last time an energy crisis of this nature takes place. Well-insulated homes save householders money, are more comfortable and help us meet our climate goals as well. Without a plan, too many households will face a choice of food or heat this winter. As new weather records are set across Europe, the Government has an opportunity to act on both climate and household costs but they must not be found wanting. We need to use the time this evening and the time of our Presidency to speak out against the Israeli establishment’s destruction of Gaza and continued oppression of the Palestinian people. The Government has outlined that it wants to take further measures in regard to sanctioning Israel to be taken at EU rather than national level for greater impact. The Taoiseach is on record as saying he intends to push for concrete EU action and urgent discussion on this but the time has come for the Government to step up and put meaning behind these words. We now have six months before us when Ireland will have the potential to have huge impact on this issue. We should be aligning with allies in Spain and Slovakia to put Palestine firmly on the European Union’s agenda. This involves not only highlighting the issue of the EU-Israel Trade Association Agreement and humanitarian aid for Palestine but also calling on the European Union itself to finally recognise the State of Palestine and all the rights that come from that. The Green Party was proud to be part of the Government when Ireland first recognised the State of Palestine in 2024. Since then, and because of the leadership shown by Ireland, many other member states have followed suit: France, Luxembourg and Malta. We not only have an opportunity but also a responsibility to use the Presidency to promote the dignity and the rights of this oppressed nation over the next six months.

Sentiment score: 0.13