Weekly Update 

Europe Week is traditionally the busiest week in EM Ireland’s calendar. This year was no different with a number of events since Monday which marked the 66th anniversary of Europe Day, including Blue Star Handshake for Europe in City Hall, the launch of our 6th year of our Accountability Report and a number of speaking engagements on the upcoming UK EU Referendum

Ahead of the week itself, with just a month to go until the voter registration deadline in the UK, our Chairman Maurice Pratt launched our #PhoneAFriend postcard. We are urging anyone with relatives or friends in Britain to send to remind them to register to vote in the forthcoming UK referendum by 7 June and to British people living here in Ireland who may be eligible to vote.

You can read more below about all of this week’s activities.

UK Referendum Update
NUIG Event
Our Executive Director Noelle O Connell will be part of a prestigious panel in Galway next Wednesday, 18 May, at a public event which will be moderated by Eimear Ní Chonaola. Other speakers include Professor John McHale, Mairead McGuinness MEP, David Begg, Conall McCoille and Dan O’Brien. This event is hosted by NUI Galway in association with British Embassy in Ireland. The event is also collaboration with European Movement Ireland’s national conversation. Attendance is free but it’s essential to register.

#PhoneAFriend Registration Drive
As you know, European Movement Ireland is urging Irish people living in Britain to register to vote by 7 June deadline, ahead of the UK’s EU referendum on 23 June in addition to British people living here in Ireland. And we are asking their relatives and friends to please remind them to do this. We have graphics here including a brand new ‘Twibbon’ which can be added to online profiles to help get the word out and spread the message to increase awareness eligibility to register to vote on June 23. Very helpfully, we also have postcards which can be sent to loved ones to remind them.
The Europe Editor of the Daily Telegraph wrote a piece about the Irish vote, focussing on #PhoneAFriend as well as the work of our colleagues in Irish4Europe. Read it in full here. We were delighted that Ireland’s Digital Champion and multi-award winning film maker Lord David Puttnam offered his support to our registration drive in today’s Irish Times. Read his piece in full here.

Europe Day
Initiated in 2013 by Irish schools involved in the ‘Blue Star’ programme, primary school children throughout Ireland once again ‘shook hands across Europe’ to mark Europe Day, May 9, 2016. Over 190 schools with more than 11,500 pupils, in communities in every county of Ireland participated in their own events; representing all of them at City Hall, Dublin were Gardiner Street Primary School from Dublin and St Thomas National School from Rathmore in Westmeath.

More than 50,000 children have participated since the inception of the Handshake and 590 schools. Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Janice Boylan and government TD, Deputy Dara Murphy, together with pupils from both schools formed a handshake chain to celebrate Europe and the schools’ participation in the Blue Star programme. The Handshake also symbolises the solidarity and diversity between them as EU citizens. The two schools have participated in the programme since its inception and Deputy Murphy also made each school a special presentation to mark this achievement.

Accountability Report 2015
On Wednesday, European Movement Ireland released our 6th ‘Accountability Report’. The 2015 report which tracks engagement with EU affairs by Irish politicians including the Taoiseach, Ministers, MEPs, Members of the Oireachtas, using multiple indicators, for the year, also provides comparison for the previous 5 year period from 2010-2014. The Report , which can be downloaded here, was reported on by the Irish Times and thejournal.ie.

The next number of months are an important time in Irish EU Relations. Without the support of our members, European Movement Ireland would not be able to do what it does. Please get involved and support our work through joining EM Ireland as a member if you haven’t already done so. For further information, please contact Noelle O Connell, our Executive Director on 01 662 5815 or via email.

As ever, please see our online platforms for updates about our plans.

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