Cynthia accuses McNamara of playing ‘petty politics’

*MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (FF) pictured with Mayor of the Ennis MD, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF)

IRELAND SOUTH MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (FF) has criticised fellow MEP Michael McNamara (IND) for abstaining on a key vote to elect Ireland’s EU Commission candidate Michael McGrath.

A vote took place on Wednesday morning in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. 370 MEPs voted to approve Ursula Von Der Leyen’s new cabinet of Commissioners. 282 MEPs voted against and 36 MEPS, including Scariff native McNamara and Ciaran Mullooly (II), abstained.

Ní Mhurchú has accused McNamara and Mullooly of putting petty politics over Ireland’s national interest. “All Commissioners, nominated by Member States, had undergone intensive confirmation hearings in the European Parliament including Michael McGrath. They were approved by the European Parliament. To abstain now on the vote is playing petty politics at a time when Ireland needs a functioning European Commission to get down to work on issues of key importance for Irish agriculture, climate, competitiveness, and migration”.

Ní Mhurchú says she is anxious to get on with the work that MEPs were elected to do and not having an EU Commission in place would mean that we cannot make any progress on reducing red tape for small business, tackling housing at a pan European level and addressing the many issues facing Irish farmers.

Meanwhile, McNamara, has written to European Commission President, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen to rule out any ‘split’ to the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which would separate the trade component from the other parts of the deal.

In a letter to President von der Leyen, co-signed by several MEPs, McNamara stated, “The question is whether the deal will be split to see the trade aspect of the deal fall solely under the EU’s jurisdiction in order to bypass Member States’ democratically elected parliaments.”

McNamara has also written to the outgoing Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD (FG), and outgoing Tánaiste, Micheal Martin TD (FF), looking for both party leaders to outline whether the Irish Government will seek legal advice if a ‘split’ deal is pursued by the Commission, a move which McNamara has called “profoundly undemocratic.”

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, McNamara again raised his concerns about the proposed agreement. “Farmers have been asked to farm sustainably over the past number of years to guarantee a high quality of product and of animal welfare, to reduce carbon emissions and the use of herbicides and pesticides. All of that is threatened by the Mercosur agreement”.