Europe Day is meant to be a celebration of peace and unity, when we mark how a continent that emerged from war resolved to work together to ensure future harmony and prosperity. My party, Sinn Féin, is often accused of being sceptical of the EU. That accusation is often thrown around in this House. It may happen in this debate. However, it is simply not the case. Sinn Féin's policies towards the European Union have always been focused on critical engagement. Where measures are in the interests of the Irish people and the peoples of Europe, we support and seek to further them. When they have not been in Ireland's interests, we have opposed them and campaigned to change them, but always from within and always in a constructive manner with a view to creating an inclusive Europe that reflects the needs and aspirations of all its people, not just the few or the elite. We are not anti-EU and we do not want to see Ireland outside of the EU. We simply see a different path forward in Europe. We seek what is in Ireland's best interests, as do Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and others. We are critical of many of the EU's stances, most often in the area of foreign relations, especially where Palestine is concerned. Along with many others, I believe the stance of the EU when it comes to foreign relations is totally out of step with the stances of the majority of its citizens. We do not support a European Union in which a small number of large member states take it on themselves to dictate economic, security or foreign policy to smaller states. As a bloc, the Union provides political cover and trade deals to those who commit genocide and it turns a blind eye to wars of aggression that have had catastrophic impacts on our economies and on the standards of living of workers and their families. Why are we so afraid to say "No" to Israel and the US? Why can we not come together as 27 member states and say what is wrong and what is unacceptable? Why can we not refuse to do business with those who are ethnically cleansing Gaza and the West Bank? Whether it is the result of cowardice or something worse, we have decided that doing business with the oppressor is worth more to us than our principles. Europe Day should not be simply about the end of a world war, but should also be a rallying cry to work towards a world without wars. We have huge diplomatic and economic levers. We can use these to effect real change not just in ending conflicts, but also in preventing conflicts from ever occurring through dialogue and sustainable investment to build up economies in the developing world and through divesting from fossil fuels. The EU has been incredibly passive when it comes to threats and bad actors. We are expected to simply weather the impact of high fuel prices caused by the Russian war in Ukraine and the war of aggression against Iran. The European Council's recent meeting was more concerned about a fresh flow of migrants than about stopping the war against Iran and rebuilding what little peace the Middle East has seen in recent decades. We saw how one powerful state can torpedo any attempts to hold Israel to account by revoking the sweetheart trade deal it has with Europe. The EU could be a powerful force for preventing interstate violence and war. It could be a beacon of hope and solidarity among nations. However, right now, it is an inept bystander that is led by the nose by external actors who have no regard for Europeans or their lives. Surely the time has come to stop being so passive and to work together in solidarity to bring peace, stability and economic prosperity to peoples around the world.

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