Latest news with #KathleenFunchion
BreakingNews.ie
12 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
EU foreign affairs chief criticised over ‘clear lack of understanding of Ireland's history'
A vice-president of the European Commission has been criticised over a 'clear lack of understanding of Ireland's history', following a debate in the European Parliament. Kaja Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister who now serves as one of the vice-presidents of the Commission, singled out Ireland during a debate on the upcoming 2025 Nato summit in the Hague. Advertisement Ms Kallas said Ireland got to 'build up their prosperity' during peace after the second World War while countries behind the Iron Curtain experienced 'atrocities, mass deportations, suppressing your culture and language'. The remarks have been criticised as 'deeply inaccurate' by Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion, who said the vice-president was dismissive of the post-war experience of people on the island of Ireland. Ms Kallas address to the opening session focused on the 'direct threat to the European Union' posed by Russia, as she called for member states to act with Nato allies and increase defence spending. Ms Funchion noted the sovereign right of each member state to choose its own foreign policies and whether or not they participate in military alliances such as Nato – particularly emphasising Ireland's longstanding policy of military neutrality. Advertisement 'I hope each of you too recognises the sovereign right of my country, Ireland, to maintain its historical policy of neutrality. 'We in Ireland have a proud history and tradition of UN peacekeeping, and long may that continue.' Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA She added: 'I feel it is important to reference the creeping militarisation into EU politics. 'This debate has been a combination of maddening and depressing for the past two hours, listening to the vast majority of speakers. Advertisement 'I would also remind people that, at its core, the EU is supposed to be a peace project and we should not move away from this.' In response, Ms Kallas warned that while Europe is a 'peace project', it 'only takes one to want war' 'We very clearly see right now the talks about the ceasefire that Russia doesn't want peace.' She added: 'I also want to address our Irish colleagues. Yes, peace doesn't mean that the human suffering will stop. Advertisement 'If you surrender, you have the aggressor, and you say, 'OK, take all what you want', then it doesn't mean that the human suffering will stop. 'Our experience behind the Iron Curtain after the Second World War, countries like Ireland got to build up their prosperity, but for us it meant atrocities, mass deportations, suppressing your culture and language. 'This is what happens. It is also peace, but it's actually not freedom. It's not freedom of choice for people, and that is what the European Union is all about, and that is what we are also fighting for.' In a statement, Ms Funchion said Ms Kallas' comments were 'ill-advised and deeply insensitive to the experiences of Irish communities still seeking justice to this day'. Advertisement 'Ireland too endured atrocities, from the Ballymurphy massacre to Bloody Sunday, where innocent civilians were shot and killed by British soldiers. 'Our people suffered internment without trial, and widespread discrimination in housing and employment, particularly in the North. 'Furthermore, the suppression of Irish language and culture has been an ongoing battle, as evidenced by the decades-long campaign for an Irish Language Act in the North. She added: 'I have written to the vice-president asking her to withdraw her remarks and to acknowledge the reality of Ireland's past. 'I would also like to welcome Leas-Uachtaran Kallas to Ireland to meet with campaigners, victims, and families affected by legacy issues. A visit like this would offer her a valuable insight into the historical injustices many are still fighting to address.' Ms Kallas' office has been contacted for comment.
Irish Examiner
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Battling the manosphere takes action
We should not, in the 21st century, still be reading headlines about men mistreating women. Indeed, 'mistreating' is a pale word to describe some of what is reported. Brutalising, perhaps, is better. Degrading is another. Yet, in just the past week we saw MEP Kathleen Funchion's ex-partner jailed for coercive control, and read that violence toward women — including strangulation — is considered 'part of sex' by boys who watch pornography. In the latter case, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, highlighted that girls feel 'hyper-sexualised' and that society feels they should 'attend to male sexual needs'. Any reader who finds themselves agreeing with that sentiment is encouraged to look in the mirror and ask themselves why —though they will not like the answer when it comes to them. There is a reason that, some months ago, an Irish Examiner editorial urging men to do better in dealing with misogyny highlighted the Mary Wollstonecraft quote: 'Men who are inferior to their fellow men are always most anxious to establish their superiority over women.' In Ms Funchion's case, meanwhile, the domineering abuse of Sean Tyrell was so pervasive that, she said, 'I could not sleep or eat, I could not concentrate on anything, work, or even the most basic of tasks', It has had life-long consequences for her. Yet we all know of cases where this sort of abuse — one struggles to think of it simply as 'behaviour' — goes unpunished, perhaps even undocumented. The manosphere — and the grifters, the rage baiters, the Andrew Tates of the world — might sell it almost as an art, a right, but it isn't. The onus is, rightly, on men to change, and an important way to do that is by parents establishing good role models for their sons. On these pages recently, Finian Murphy pointed to how otherwise progressive-leaning 'centrist' fathers need to get out of their comfort zones when it comes to tackling the toxic masculinity which has always been there, but which is more easily accessed than ever by its commodification and almost deification, packaged into a product that's marketed as a must-have for anybody feeling vulnerable. The centrists, he argues, need to demonstrate more through actions rather than just words or being silent in the face of hard subjects, such as those raised by the Netflix show Adolescence. Murphy is right to say that 'a healthier masculinity offers men stronger relationships, with fuller and longer lives'. That healthy masculinity includes, for example, demonstrating through actions that 'real strength lies in compassion, inclusion, emotional intelligence, and the courage to confront injustice'. The examples he cites include Donncha O'Callaghan, Adam Harris, and Blindboy. One could also think of the Pedro Pascals and Viggo Mortensens of the world. Perhaps you could think of more — our inbox at letters@ is always open, and the Irish Examiner is committed to a broad church of opinions. Change begins with a single step. It's time for all of us with children to think about what that first step should be. No country for young artists For a country that prides itself on artistic endeavours — and indeed, punches far above its weight — it is sobering for Cork Opera House CEO Eibhlín M. Gleeson to note that 'a lot of our artists are leaving. There's no work for them here.' The problems include a lack of places to perform, which seems shoddy on the part of this country given that the attendances at art and culture events in recent years have bloomed and are now as high, if not higher, than they were before the advent of covid. Let us not forget that these events don't just bring money to the organisers and performers but the pubs, hotels, and other establishments in the locality. Like with our medical students, we seem to do a great job of training our art students to thrive in different countries, rather than creating a viable way for them to live here. In a world where generative AI is absorbing and then soullessly regurgitating the works of an untold legion of artists, there's an opportunity here to invest a relatively small amount of money that would be repaid manyfold, both financially and socially. Oh the humanity You would be forgiven for thinking that the endless rollout of automation and AI — squashed into apps by companies wherever possible, whether wanted or not — was only going one way. So it may be refreshing to see that coffee giant Starbucks has decided that investing in equipment at the expense of the human touch is not for it. The company, which has been struggling to turn its fortunes around amid competition and reduced consumer spending, is now going to recruit more baristas instead. There is much to be said for deploying technological solutions to real problems: Robots to fight fires in perilous situations; drones to track deforestation; improved medical equipment to treat everything you can think of. You may be reading this on a phone or tablet, as many of our digital subscribers do, and you are welcome to do so. But you may also be reading this on paper, where after the writer and editing staff it's gone through the hands of the printers, the van drivers, the shop staff who've taken your money (still less than the price of a coffee) in a small measure of welcome human interaction. And if we can continue to value that human touch, perhaps we'll stave off Skynet after all. Read More Irish Examiner view: Embattled James Browne faces tough task in righting housing mess
RTÉ News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Sinn Féin MEP on conviction of former partner
Sinn Féin MEP, Kathleen Funchion, talks about the conviction of her ex-partner, Sean Tyrell, who was convicted under the Harassment and Harmful Communications Act, also known as Coco's Law.
