Roberta METSOLA, EP President welcomes and meets Micheál MARTIN, Irish Taoiseach, in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Extracts from the "This is Europe" debate address to the plenary.

Strasbourg

plenary session

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

EU - Ireland (T)

MARTIN, Micheál (IE)

president's agenda

This is Europe Debate (T)

This is Europe with Taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál MARTIN: meeting with Roberta METSOLA, EP President and extracts from the address to the plenary

This is Europe with Taoiseach of Ireland, Miche&aacute;l MARTIN: meeting with Roberta METSOLA, EP President and extracts from the address to the plenary (I-226441)

Arrivals of the Taoiseach of Ireland, Miche&aacute;l MARTIN, welcomed by Roberta METSOLA, EP President (2 shots)

Signature of the guests' book by Taoiseach of Ireland, Miche&aacute;l MARTIN with Roberta METSOLA, EP President (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The Irish Prime Minister being here with us in plenary is also an expression of Ireland's commitment, as Europe faces difficult times with an illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Over the years, the European Single Market has helped Ireland's economy become highly competitive. But Ireland's continues to give a lot back to Europe too, economically, politically and socially.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Economically Ireland's success story has allowed it to move from net recipient to net contributor to the EU budget. And politically, Ireland plays a central role in shaping common policies, particularly on finance, on the environment and on providing vital aid to Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And here, I must commend Ireland for being the first country in the European Union to waive the visa requirements for Ukrainians and for welcoming nearly 30,000 displaced Ukrainians who have sought shelter.

SOUNDBITE (English) Roberta METSOLA, EP President, On Northern Ireland, all the European Union institutions are aligned. Renegotiating the protocol on Northern Ireland is not an option, and the European Parliament has reiterated its unwavering support for the protocol on several occasions, and we remain fully committed to preserving the peace on the island of Ireland.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, My message to you today is that we stand resolutely with all those who share the core values of peace, democracy and progress in Europe. And we believe that protecting these values demands a strong European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, Our treaties are clear that any European state, which respects the values of the Union and is committed to promoting them, may apply to become a member of the Union. It should be a source of pride and inspiration that the Union continues to be a beacon of hope to people at our borders, to the people of the Western Balkans, to the people of Ukraine currently sacrificing and enjoying so much in defence of our shared European values to the people of Moldova and of Georgia.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, I hope that when the European Council meets in June, it will be possible to send the people of Ukraine a clear and positive message.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, The Good Friday Agreement provides a clear framework for protecting different identities and interests in Northern Ireland. It is a triumph for democratic politics and it has been a model for conflict resolution in many parts of the world.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, The European Union has worked hard to find ways to ensure that where there is a negative impact on businesses and citizens in Northern Ireland, it is minimised as much as possible. I have said many times that there are solutions to practical problems under the protocol, if there is a political will to find them.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, But that requires partnership, it requires the United Kingdom government to engage with good faith, seriousness and commitment. Unilateral action to set aside a solemn agreement would be deeply damaging.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, As the European Council said once again last week. Russia must end its slaughter and withdrawal from the entire territory of Ukraine. I know that the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Mr. Ruslan Stefanchuck, is here in Strasbourg today. And to him I say Ireland unequivocally supports your country, your people and your right to a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micheál MARTIN, Irish Prime Minister, Our guiding principle should be how can we best prepare our Union to continue to meet the needs of its citizens into the future? Ireland is ready for this debate. We will work to constructively shape our new future and are open to treaty change, if this proves necessary. We should first, however, do what we can within the existing framework.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frances FITZGERALD (EPP, IE), Ireland's challenges are Europe's challenges, and Europe's opportunities are Ireland's opportunities. Ireland and the EU must continue to defend democracy and the people of Ukraine. We must respond comprehensively to the current challenges, the cost of living crisis, the energy crisis, and work together as we have done during COVID.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pedro MARQUES (S&D, PT), We welcome resoundingly the fact that the Republic of Ireland joined the OECD tax agreement on minimum corporate taxation. Nevertheless, as we all know, many other practises may still be used to decrease real taxation. Do you agree that the EU and the Member States should cooperate more to level the playing field on these matters?