Debate contribution: European Parliament Observer Status

Debate contribution by Mrs Ciara Ferguson on 8 December 2025.

MLA

Mrs Ciara Ferguson

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

8 December 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

European Parliament Observer Status

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5284203

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The motion goes to the very heart of the unique position of the North of Ireland as a region that remains in the EU single market and where over one third of our people retain European citizenship as Irish passport holders and where that birthright is enshrined through our peace agreement. The motion seeks, once again, to address the democratic deficit that Brexit created and give us a stronger voice in Europe. No one has anything to fear from that. Almost a decade ago, the majority of our citizens voted to remain within the European Union, recognising the significant social and economic benefits to our island as a whole. Those benefits include, but are not limited to, receipt of significant funding towards peace and regional development; enablement of free movement and educational opportunities for workers and students; protection of international human rights agreements; and unfettered trade. Whilst Britain ignored our democratic mandate, our Derry-based MEP at the time, Martina Anderson, got to work, carrying out a dedicated campaign alongside the wider all-Ireland Sinn Féin MEP team. That campaign fought to secure key commitments on no diminution of hard-won rights and protections as outlined in the Good Friday Agreement. The call from the Sinn Féin team in the wake of Brexit was for EU observer status for elected representatives from the North, something that the majority of Irish MEPs has now endorsed and that, I believe, the Assembly would also endorse. Notably, as of 2022, over one third of this region's population had an Irish passport, and, therefore, Irish and European citizenship. That birthright is protected in the Good Friday Agreement, an international treaty registered with the United Nations, the provisions of which are binding under international law.

Article 3 of the Treaty on the European Union confirms that the European Union shall:

"contribute to the protection of its citizens."

I make the case clearly today that offering observer status to our locally elected representatives will assist in upholding that duty and protecting our peace process. EU observer status enables a formal but limited form of voice and participation in Europe that includes attendance at plenary sessions and the strengthening of lines of communication. It is a practical and constructive step that we can take to strengthen our voice on the European stage. I am confident that the public see the DUP petition of concern for what it is: a political stunt that, like the DUP's position on Brexit, is not representative of the views of the majority of people in the North and on this island, who oppose Brexit and want us to return to the EU. Only two weeks ago, DUP Members bemoaned the fact that there is a democratic deficit and a lack of representation for people here on Brexit and trading arrangements. It is therefore, in my opinion, hypocritical of DUP Members to attempt to block the motion and its practical call to give our communities greater representation. As a Derry-based MLA, I am only too aware of the continued impacts of Brexit, which are particularly felt in border constituencies such as mine, on students, workers and the wider community. Those impacts include the continued risk to so many voluntary and community sector jobs and life-saving projects that, without adequate replacement of the funding from Europe that has been lost, will disappear. It is our families, people and communities who will suffer. I will give one example of the ridiculous implications of Brexit. Some of our councillors recently met the North West Academy of English, which, through ERASMUS, has always hosted European students in Derry. Due to electronic travel authorisation (ETA) regulations, those students now have to stay in Donegal, limiting the potential for tourism and cultural enrichment in Derry city. The context is this: if an MEP were to try to meet students at the North West Academy of English, which is based in Derry, they would not be able to meet them there. Additionally, vital projects are funded by the European PEACE PLUS programme, including the Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT) cross-border health and social care partnership, representatives of which I met last week. It was set up to improve all-Ireland health outcomes, yet concerns exist about its continuing post 2028. Derry, Donegal and other border counties have benefited enormously from that fund. It has, quite literally, transformed communities across the region. Whilst we know that, in the event of Irish reunification, automatic re-entry to the European Union is guaranteed, we have a duty in the interim to enhance all-Ireland mobility, to provide businesses and workers with stability and trade continuity and to mitigate the very worst excesses of Britain's failed agenda on Ireland and its people, which include risks to health outcomes and vital support services for some of our most vulnerable people. Additionally, we support the call for the opening of an EU Commission office in Belfast. Such an official local presence will help to support our position, which has been recognised to be unique, offering an enhanced communication channel and better support for people and small businesses that have been left bewildered. I will finish with this: we were dragged out of Europe against our wishes, and nothing has come from Brexit for our economy and our people. There are huge opportunities ahead to continue to build momentum for a stronger and fairer Ireland and to realise our full potential as an island and a people. In the interim, in recognition of our unique, at present, position as a region, the fulfilment of observer status is a reasonable, sensible and practical step forward.

935 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:08 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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