Debate contributions by Kathleen FUNCHION

Mr President, I want to raise the issue of domestic violence and a law that we should be enacting, which is called Valerie's Law. So currently, an absolutely horrific loophole exists within the law in Ireland and other Member States, which means that when a partner intentionally kills their partner, that person still retains guardianship rights of their shared children. It's actually difficult to believe that this is still the case, and that family and loved ones of those murdered, who are already going through the worst thing imaginable, have to then deal with the added trauma of challenging this in the courts. I want to commend in particular David French from Cork in Ireland. He has been campaigning vigorously to get this law changed, as his own sister Valerie was murdered by her partner a number of years ago. I want to call on the incoming Irish Justice Minister to change this in Ireland and enact Valerie's Law without delay. And I want to also call on this Parliament and the Justice Commissioner to ensure that Valerie's Law is enacted throughout our Member States. Children in these situations must be protected and legal loopholes must not add to their nightmare. Action is needed now.

Madam President, people with disabilities are entitled to the same rights, dignity and respect as everyone else in society, and I commend the progress made under the previous strategy for people with disabilities, particularly the introduction of the European Disability Card and the recent publication of guidance on independent living. It is hard to communicate everything you want to say in one minute, so I'm going to focus on the area of employment and personal assistant hours, and I think that these are very much interlinked. For someone to be successful in employment, they often will need the assistance of a personal assistant, and we have unfortunately not seen enough hours and resources go into this service. Employment is fundamental to independence, skill development, social inclusion and a sense of belonging. Just in Ireland, the disability employment gap stands at 38.6 %, which is significantly higher than the EU average of 24.4 %. And shockingly, for women with a disability, that gap is even worse at 45 %. Successive Irish governments have let generations of people with disabilities down, but also any future EU strategy for people with a disability must prioritise employment and personal assistance hours. The new strategy is our opportunity to shape a real, inclusive future for all. And I would argue that this requires more than just rhetoric or words or sheets of paper left idle on a shelf: it demands real, impactful action.

Madam President, previously in our national parliament in Ireland, I had the honour of chairing our children's committee for around four years. So, I know how important the issue of children's rights is. And children must be at the heart of EU policy. We need to tackle serious issues such as child poverty, child sexual abuse and the protection of children online. While I commend the vital work of the Intergroup, the EU must do a lot more. We need a dedicated forum to amplify children's voices and – I would argue – a dedicated committee to children. We also need to ensure that children's rights are actually fully realised and they do not become endless reports gathering dust on shelves. We need to ensure that action is taken. I also want to reference the situation in Palestine, because we cannot speak about children without speaking about the horrific situation that they find themselves in. How can the EU seriously claim to champion children's rights while refusing to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel? How can we talk about children's rights when Israeli bombs rain down on Gaza and children burn alive in tents? Every single child matters, no matter where they are born or where they come from. And every single child deserves the same rights, protections and opportunities.

A Uachtaráin, after all the drama and the delays, the deal is done and we will have five more years of Ursula von der Leyen. President von der Leyen, you are unacceptable to us on the left, and you are unacceptable to the Irish people, as an enabler of an ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. What's more, your Commission is hell bent on passing the Mercosur Agreement – an agreement which is bad for farmers and for our environment. Your vision of the EU is one where workers rights and solidarity are just footnotes to your main agenda of militarisation and centralisation of powers in Brussels' hands. I want to speak directly to the Irish MEPs of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party. We see you and the Irish people are watching you very closely. It is not too late to do the right thing and vote against this Commission. The people of Ireland do not want this agenda – shame on any Irish MEP who supports it.

A Uachtaráin, last week in Ireland, it was revealed that EUR 158 million was left unspent in the mother and baby institution payment scheme. This was a redress scheme meant for survivors who suffered terribly at the hands of the State and religious institutions. And can I add that they were primarily women. I want to firstly pay tribute to all of those who are still fighting the cause for justice. This scheme was severely flawed. In fact, the commission of investigation process that investigated the situation was severely flawed as well. Over 40 % of survivors were left out of this scheme, and now, disgracefully, we see EUR 158 million left unspent. I want to reiterate my calls that the redress scheme needs to be far more comprehensive, far more inclusive, and it needs to ensure that all victims are included, and also that the religious institutions pay their fair share. They have been left to get away with a huge amount in our country.

A Uachtaráin, it is important that this Parliament recognises World Mental Health Day to raise awareness, reduce stigma and promote mental well-being throughout Europe. Issues around mental health reach us all. If we have not personally suffered, someone we know and love probably has and often in silence and solitude. There has been some improvement in tackling the stigma involved with mental health issues, which I welcome, but this is not enough. We need to see investment in the correct facilities and proper support for people suffering with mental health. In Ireland, we are facing a mental health emergency. The numbers on waiting lists for appointments are skyrocketing, particularly for children, thousands of whom are on waiting lists for first time appointments. Meanwhile, the government celebrates massive surpluses and budgets that do not provide the services people are crying out for. We in this House must send a clear and strong message that we need to do far better and we must make mental health a priority for this EU term.

A Uachtaráin, I warmly welcome the ECJ ruling that Apple must pay Ireland EUR 13 billion in unpaid taxes. The Irish Government wasted EUR 10 million of Irish taxpayers' money fighting a case, siding with one of the wealthiest corporations ever to exist. This should never have been the case. Money that would have been far better utilised in housing or health care or our disability sector was wasted defending the indefensible. Make no mistake, the money from the unpaid taxes wasn't spent on helping Apple workers or to improve their pay and conditions. It was not used to help them or their communities in any way. That is why it is vital now that the taxes due are paid immediately and that the funds need to be invested in our communities, in our urban and our rural communities, that for far too long have been left behind by successive governments.