Government has no plan to include citizens in framing of EU budget

The Green Party has criticised Government for failing to engage with the public or civic society organisations in developing Ireland’s position on the EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) covering the period 2028-35 and expressed growing fears that agri-environment, climate, water, social cohesion and humanitarian funding in the MFF may be cut to ramp up defence and security spending.

Speaking in the Seanad today (Thursday), Senator Malcolm Noonan put questions to Government on the level of public engagement on the MFF before the deadline for public submissions closed on May 6th. In response the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade gave no detail of public engagement, meetings or otherwise but did state that security and defence would be prioritised in the budget.

‘There is very real concern among civil society organisations in Ireland that Common Agricultural Policy, LIFE projects, Erasmus and PEACE programmes may see cuts at the expense of ramping up defence and security spending. To the best of my knowledge, the Irish Government has not actively sought the views of farm organisations or other stakeholders on helping to shape Ireland’s position,'  said Senator Noonan.

‘I find this deeply worrying at a time when we need to move out of pilot schemes for farmers into mainstreaming water, nature and climate measures and when we need to move at speed to address climate mitigation and social cohesion, that the MFF will be siphoned off to further boost the profits of the defence and security industry’.

'On the day that a report from European Movement Ireland highlighted a worrying and ongoing decline in trust in the EU among Irish citizens, I think it is more important than ever thrat the Irish Government gives people here a say in how this €1.12tn budget should be spent, it is our money after all. Government should see this as an opportunity to engage with sectoral groups, travel around the country and meet with young people, with farmers, fishers and civil society organisations.'

Senator Noonan, speaking in the Seanad, said that there is still time to engage in a public participation process and that negotiations would reach a critical point during the Irish Presidency next year.

‘Do we want to help shape a budget that puts citizens, the environment, young people and people fleeing conflict and climate change to the fore as the Irish position? I would hope that we do and how we shape, influence and negotiate the next MFF could well be a defining legacy of the Irish Presidency,’ concluded Senator Noonan.