Voters have been urged to “elect responsible MEPs” for the next European Parliament by an MEP who was first elected to the parliament 15 years ago for Ireland South.
Seán Kelly, who is standing for re-election, said that there is a “need to have an experienced, hard-working voice for Ireland, with a strong network of connections in senior positions”.
Kelly is head of the Fine Gael delegation in the European Parliament.
Voters in Ireland will go to the polls to elect the next round of MEPs to the European Parliament on Friday June 7, 2024 and will elect 14 MEPs in 2024 – one more than in the 2019 elections.
Ireland is divided into three constituencies for European elections.
- Dublin elects four MEPS;
- South elects five MEPS;
- Midlands-North-West elects five MEPS.
Kelly believes that the choice European voters make in the upcoming elections will be particularly important ahead of forthcoming negotiations on the EU’s post-2027 long-term budget – the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
“Some Irish MEPs regularly vote against EU funding resources, even the current EU long-term budget for 2021-2027.
“I voted in favour of that seven-year budget, which underpins all EU funding – including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), research through Horizon Europe, climate actions, health funding, supports for SMEs, regional funds, programmes for young people like Erasmus and more,” he added.
MEPs
Kelly has also highlighted that the European Parliament is a co-legislator on EU budgets.
“No budget can be passed without its consent. Luckily, most MEPs take a more constructive approach to secure vital EU funds”, he added.
He believes that Fine Gael’s membership of the European People’s Party (EPP), which has played a key role in many of the EU Institutions, means that it is “working with leading lawmakers who are drafting EU budgets”.
“We will use that influence for the benefit of Ireland during the next term.
“When it comes to delivering for farmers, the fact is that EPP are the driving force in pushing for an increased CAP budget.
“We need senior MEPs in a position of influence to advocate for Irish agriculture and that is exactly what I intend to do if elected,” Kelly said.