Mattie McGrath has told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that he is concerned Ireland has handed its sovereignty over to the EU in a blistering address before the Dáil.
The opposition politician, speaking during von der Leyen’s visit to Dublin on Thursday, slammed the EU’s ‘friendship’ to Ireland – as the Dáil heard from McGrath that Ireland is struggling because of a loss of its freedoms due to EU membership and diktats.
Deputy McGrath started his address to the joint sitting of the parliament and the Seanad by thanking von der Leyen for her acknowledgment of the benefits Europe has brought to Ireland – and, more importantly, he said, “the benefits that we brought and gave, and delivered to the European project”.
Moments before, von der Leyen, in her historic address to TDs and Senators, said Ireland had gone “above and beyond” in its support for Ukraine.
She also said Ireland was a country of “proud Europeans” and that most Irish people held the view that being part of the EU had made the country a better place.
McGrath said that despite the fact people, himself included “had great hopes and the people welcomed it and voted for” Ireland to join the EU in 1973, since then, through various treaties, there has been “much transfer of decision-making” which originally rested with sovereign countries to the EU Commission. This means we now have issues of concerns about militarisation and considerable privatisation, McGrath said.
He went on to blast the handling of the Covid pandemic, and the discussion by the Commission of Covid passports “long before Covid reached our shores”.
“I certainly have concerns, as have many people, with the way we handled the Covid pandemic and the fact that the Commission was discussing Covid passports, in 2012, 2013 and 2014, long before Covid reached our shores,” he said, continuing:
“I am concerned at the way that big pharma have been indemnified, the way that it was favoured and got favouritism, and the way people were locked down and imprisoned and the fear that was created. The narrative could not be questioned by anybody in any country. Goodness, we see that today in China and elsewhere.
“I have those concerns and I espouse them here to the President of the Commission today”.
He continued to lament his belief that EU nation states, including Ireland, appear to have handed over their sovereignty to the EU.
“The erosion of our sovereignty is greatly concerning to the citizens of Ireland,” he said.
He went on to highlight the impact of Ireland’s compliance with EU rules and regulations, pointing to the decimation of our fishing and beet industries.
“This loss of sovereignty is the reason that our fishing industry has been unceremoniously wiped out; sold out by our own Government. The latest scandal announced is that one third of our fishermen are being forced to decommission their boats permanently. It is shocking,” he said.
“I remember a thriving beet industry in Ireland, in my own county, in Tipperary, in Thurles, and most small farmers had beet. We lost our beet industry; also sold out. This loss of sovereignty is the reason our manufacturing, which took place in every town, village and hamlet in rural Ireland is now gone. Tá sé imithe. Small businesses thrived then but now it is difficult for small business. It is so cumbersome”.
He said that while officials and those in Government return from Europe pointing to a European diktat, he doubts that anything is ever questioned.
“Sometimes, we have not even applied for funds to support some of our ailing and struggling businesses. That is the fact of the matter,” he said.
He said the loss of sovereignty is the reason that Irish farmers are struggling and ordered to cut their herd size.
“People are aghast at this because ní neart go cur le chéile is important to the Irish, as is the sense of meitheal, but it has not been there.
“This loss of sovereignty is the reason the Government tells farmers that they must reduce their herd size while at the same time the EU, which Dr. von der Leyen leads, wants to import more beef from Brazil and elsewhere. It is an act of madness. It is disquieting. It is unfair and it is downright wrong to our farmers. Farming is such an important part of our country and sustained us through several recessions.
“This loss of sovereignty is the reason we were forced to bail out the euro currency, paying the debts of privately-owned banks and financial speculators. In fact, we paid 42% of the total European banking costs, costing €9,000 to every fear, bean agus duine óg. Every man, woman and child had to pay, will pay and is paying”.
McGrath said that the people of Ireland were “made the patsy” to pay for European bankers and investors, some who may have been from President von der Leyen’s own country, despite the fact they had their own bonds and insurance.
“Our Government here voted for it. I voted for it and it was the biggest political mistake I ever made in my life,” McGrath said.
“Did I vote for the bailout? No, I did not. The IMF gave us money at less than 3% and our so-called friends in Europe charged us 6% interest on the money. This is some friendship we voted for”.
Concluding the blistering address, the Independent questioned where the end goal lay with regards to EU member states’ sovereignty.
“I ask this in all sincerity,” he said. “Will President von der Leyen as President of the European Commission guarantee today to the Irish people that Ireland will remain the free and sovereign country our ancestors fought so bravely to achieve?”
“I come from Tipperary, the land of Breen, Treacy, Robinson and Dinny Lacey who gave their lives. Liam Lynch, a Limerick man, was shot in the adjoining parish to mine. We commemorate these people with pride. Here we are undermining daily what they fought for. I do not know if President von der Leyen knew of Thomas Davis. She quoted the late John Hume, and rightly so.
“He was a wonderful European and Irish man. Thomas Davis was a man who championed Irish sovereignty. He wrote a famous song in which he expressed the hope that Ireland long a province be a nation once again. The words have inspired many generations of Irish people, young and old. Does the EU want to make our nation a province once again? I ask this in all sincerity”.
He also pointed to von der Leyen’s comments on climate change and just transition, stating that “there is no just transition” for those who have been forced to shut down their industries”. He said that while von der Leyen referred to Ireland as a beacon of light, “the candle and flame have been quenched in many homes and houses”.
Pointing to the spiralling housing crisis and healthcare system, he said Ireland has limits when it comes to accepting refugees – moments after the EU Chief used her address to urge Ireland to keep supporting Ukraine by continuing to go “above and beyond”.
Von der Leyen called on Ireland to retain its sense of “stubbornness” and “resolve” to “keep supporting Ukraine as long as it takes”.
McGrath said Ireland must be respected for “who we are and our sovereignty”. He said of the influx of Ukrainian refugees:
“We have homeless people and a situation with our healthcare. We have welcomed many Ukrainians from the horrible war. We have limits as to what we can do with regard to migration from all other countries.
“Some countries in Europe have ceased and put a pause on it. We have to cut our cloth according to our measure. This is Ireland of a thousand welcomes, of course, and President von der Leyen is welcome today, but we need to be respected for who we are, what our are people are and our sovereignty”.