Minister Burke addresses AGM of the European Movement of Ireland (EMI)

The Minister of State for European Affairs, Peter Burke, addressed the European Movement Ireland’s AGM 2023 which was held in Europe House, in Dublin, on Monday, 25 September.

Minister Burke extended his warm congratulations to European Movement Ireland (EMI) on another successful year – a year which also saw the 50th anniversary of Ireland's membership of the European Union.

In his address, Minister Burke praised the dedicated efforts of everyone involved in EMI, from board members led by Julie Sinnamon to the committed staff under the leadership of Noelle O’Connell. He said that EMI's vital role in raising awareness about EU matters in Ireland was very much recognised and appreciated.

Looking ahead to next year’s European Parliament elections, Minister Burke noted that many young voters will head to the polls for the first time and that the government and EMI would do everything to ensure Irish voters are educated on EU issues in the run up to those elections.

Minister Burke also looked further ahead of Ireland’s 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union, saying that it will be “a once in a generation opportunity to influence the EU’s strategic agenda” and that the “views of Civil Society will be essential when it comes to priority setting for our Presidency term – we will be looking for insights from EMI and others in order to shape those priorities".

The Minister emphasised that EMI's tireless commitment to promoting EU values and enhancing EU awareness in Ireland has been invaluable and that he looked forward to building on that tradition of collaboration in the coming year.