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Speech at an Irish Community Reception, Association Parlementaire Européenne

Strasbourg, 27th January 2015

Tá ríméad orm a bheith anseo libh anocht, agus ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil libh as ucht bhur fíorchaoin fáilte.

[I am very delighted to be with you this evening, and I would like to thank you for your kind welcome.]

It is a great pleasure to return to Strasbourg, a city I last visited in 2013 during the Irish Presidency of the European Union. On that occasion I had the opportunity to address the European Parliament. Today I had the equally significant experience of addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I am privileged to have been a former member of the Assembly whose role in European politics is considerable.

The Council of Europe was born some sixty five years ago into a Europe still suffering the aftershock of the most devastating period in its history. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and the institutions and ideals of the Council of Europe stand as a testament to the commitment of European leaders to ensure that such an atrocity could never be allowed to re-occur.

Several decades on and we sadly cannot say that those founding ideals of the Council have been fully realised. Earlier this month we watched in horror as the fundamental principles we value so highly, – freedom of speech and belief, along with the ideal of a peaceful intercultural society, – were brutally attacked in Paris.  Everyday, we hear and read of tragic violations of human rights; of the inequalities, injustices and horrific acts of violence that still stain so many parts of this continent as conflict continues to rage in parts of Europe, most notably in Eastern Ukraine.

It is important, however, that we also recognise the very great achievements which the Council has made in its history. Over 800 million people now enjoy the protection of the Convention on Human Rights, while the Council continues to play a central role in embedding and strengthening democratic governance, and the rule of law and respect for human rights in very many Member States. The Council was also, of course, fundamental in ensuring the smooth transition to liberal democracy of those states which emerged from totalitarian Soviet rule 25 years ago.

Just one year after the establishment of the Republic of Ireland we were, as one of the original signatories of the Treaty of London, enabled to play our own important role in crafting a future Europe which would reflect our commitment to the principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. These values have remained at a core of Irish foreign policy and were restated in the Global Island, the first Irish foreign policy review for almost 20 years.

This outward facing vision, looking towards a Europe beyond our nearest neighbour in the UK was a defining moment for Ireland, in the development of its post-war identity. The acceptance of the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter, and the various other conventions and standards of the Council of Europe were to be critical in our growth into the liberal democratic republic we know today.  James Joyce wrote that: “If Ireland is to become a new Ireland, she must first become European”.  We embraced the contemporary bonds that were in the making as a reaffirmation of our European heritage and commitment.

The currents of influence between Ireland and Europe do not simply flow in one direction. Ireland has made its own important contribution to the development of a European identity. One of my great pleasures, as President of Ireland, has been the opportunity to meet so many members of our Irish diaspora who make us proud and represent us so well in countries across the world; including those who, in forging a European identity for themselves, weave so much of their Irish heritage into the European character itself.

I would like to take this moment to recognise the contribution of those of you who work in the Council of Europe and the other European institutions for the value you bring to the realisation of the European project. I also wish to make a special mention of the work of Mr. Michael O’Boyle for his sustained service of the highest quality to the Council of Europe, and the Court in particular, in securing human rights in Europe. I know that Mr. O’Boyle will soon be leaving his current position, but I am sure that his ongoing contribution to this most important area of work will continue.

I would like to also commend the work of the Irish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who also join us here. While you may not live permanently in Strasbourg, I am well aware that the work of an Assembly member continues throughout the year, at home and abroad. I wish to thank you for your efforts and the important contribution you, and your predecessors as members of the delegation make and continue to make.

I know that there are a number of Irish Erasmus students present here today. I hope that this exchange programme and your experience in Strasbourg will enrich the future course of your careers when you return to Ireland. You after all have the greatest challenge being part of the restatement of the European ideal and the evolution of a new architecture of institutions and relationships.

And to all of you, whether you have lived in Strasbourg for the greater part of your life, or are only here for a short time, whether you are working here, running a business, studying or enjoying your retirement, whether you are Irish by birth or whether your connection to Ireland grew later in your life: you are true Europeans, as well as truly Irish, and the country owes you its thanks.

To conclude, I wish you bon travail, bonne continuation, and my best wishes for your future endeavours wherever they may bring you.