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'People move on': Aodhán Ó Ríordáin on Labour gaining first seat in EU after 10 years

Ó Ríordáin told The Journal he plans to protect employment rights, push back against the far right and continue carrying the green torch in the European Parliament.

NEWLY-ELECTED DUBLIN MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said he thinks the public does not consider the Labour party’s time in Government anymore and instead judged him and other candidates based on their political convictions.

Speaking to The Journal after his first week in Brussels, Ó Ríordáin said that he plans to stand up for and protect employment rights, continue carrying the green torch in the European Parliament, and oppose Ursula von der Leyen’s second term.

The long-time politician is the first Labour MEP to be elected in 10 years and the only Irish member of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group in the EU this term – a group which will be influential decision makers over the coming five years.

Many experts have previously told The Journal that Ireland’s mandate in the EU was underperforming due to an absence of members in the S&D group.

Asked what he makes of the new Labour seat, Ó Ríordáin said he has had a warm welcome from his European colleagues. He said he believes that the public generally related to him for his political beliefs, rather than what Labour did in previous Governments.

european-labour-candidate-aodhan-o-riordain-td-following-being-elected-mep-for-the-dublin-constituency-at-the-rds-count-centre-in-dublin-as-counting-continues-in-the-european-election-in-ireland-pict Labour's director of elections and Senator Marie Sherlock, Ó Ríordáin and party leader Ivana Bacik after the election in Dublin this month. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

“The only time I get asked about [Labour's] period in Government is when I’m being interviewed by journalists.

“I literally did not get asked about it going door-to-door, not once, and it’s because people move on and they want to know what your plans are now and in the future.”

He said that it was a “major breakthrough” for Labour to gain a seat in Europe again, but noted that it will be a big change to leave his “relatively small parliamentary party” in Leinster House to join the second-largest group in the European Union.

Despite this, he wants to be “true to the mandate” and bring European affairs closer to people’s lives, communities and the overall political consciousness in Dublin and the rest of Ireland.

Empowering workers’ right

How does the Dublin native plan to do this? Through a seat on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee or the Culture and Education committee, the two political work groups he has applied for.

As previously reported by The Journal, Ó Ríordáin is seeking to advocate for wage increases for workers, ban unpaid internships and work towards an EU-wide right to disconnect.

He sees the EU as a way to improve life for workers in Ireland through legislation such as the minimum income directive that puts a great importance on collective bargaining and unionising. 

According to 2021 OECD analysis into pay in Ireland, around 23% of Ireland’s full-time workforce is on what is categorised as low pay, earning less than two-thirds of median earnings.

Ó Ríordáin cited the study and added that around 40% of people under 30 are currently working insecure jobs.

Labour 292_90670605 Labour's Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is hoping to earn a seat on the Parliament's employment committee. © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

“While we do have full employment, the nature of that employment really needs to be examined more,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to bring to the table over the next five years.”

While this work is still subject to his selection on the Employment committee – political groups are given a certain number of committee seats, proportional to the seats they hold in the chamber – Ó Ríordáin is still eager to highlight these issues. 

He also brought up how Ireland currently employs just 32% of people with disabilities, which is well below the current EU average (51%), and how there is a “lot of work to do” to improve those figures.

He added that free labour, through internships or ‘experience work’, needs to be “rooted out” and believes that, regardless of whether he gets a position on the committee, the S&D group will be tackling these issues in the coming years. 

“I would hope over the next five years with the amount of that knowledge that I have, and with the experience of other S&D group members, that I will be in a position to to campaign and hopefully convince ministers here in the Irish government of the need to strengthen our collective bargaining legislation,” Ó Ríordáin said.

“I think what needs to happen is that employers need to understand that it’s better for everybody.

“When employees and their representatives are asked to the table and are working collectively, working together, they are more protected in the workplace. It means that workers feel more secure and they feel more empowered, they’re more productive. It’s a win-win.”

Anti-Green MEPs are looking for ‘short-term political gain’

Former Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe had tapped Ó Ríordáin as the next MEP to tackle climate change for Ireland in Europe, after he lost his seat in Dublin.

Ó Ríordáin told The Journal that he is still in touch with Cuffe and hopes that he can work with the former MEP and gain from his experience and knowledge of the EU, but also to learn more about the climate crisis.

“I am genuinely terrified of the consequences of lack of action in this space.

“I have young children. I think you don’t need to have children to be worried, but I do and I am – I also know from the the nature of the European election just how unfortunately divisive this issue has become,” he added.

Ó Ríordáin said that he thought Regina Doherty’s comments about the Green Party and other green issues in a newspaper article towards the end of the campaign were “really unfortunate and pretty unfair”.

999European Elections_90707154 (1) Ó Ríordáin said he is still in touch with Cuffe and hopes to look to him for guidance and experience during his term on climate issues. © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

He added: “A kind of a cultural war has sprung open in various different communities about the infrastructure [and] about cycle lanes.

“We’ve seen what independents are doing with the people in rural Ireland about the green agenda and just for short-term political gain.

“We’ve seen the success of people who are, if you like, openly critical of this agenda – the likes of Ciaran Mullooly or others.

“They may challenge what I just said, but clearly they’re courting a vote of people who are not necessarily full on board with the climate action agenda and seek to delay things. And I have an issue with that.”

He added that he hopes that all four MEPs from Dublin, at least, can work together towards making progress for the Green Deal and says it is something that he is taking seriously.

‘S&D will vote for von der Leyen, but I won’t’

Speaking on Monday, Tánaiste Micheál Martin told reporters in Luxembourg that a “high-level agreement” had been brokered between Fianna Fáil’s centrist group Renew, the S&D and Fine Gael’s EPP to support Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission president.

Asked if this agreement undermines Ó Ríordáin’s convictions-over-policy stance, he confirmed that his group will be supporting the German politician’s term – but he has informed the group that he will not be personally supporting her.

“I made this point in our group meeting last week, and I actually got a round of applause for it – now, how widespread that round of applause was, it’s hard to know – but I said the issue of Gaza is of a profound importance to the Irish people and on that basis, I have a massive issue with supporting Ursula von der Leyen. I won’t be voting for her, no.”

The Dublin MEP said the group is choosing to support von der Leyen in her second term to avoid the Commission President seeking support from the far-right.

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35 Comments
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    Mute Marcus Philpott
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    May 14th 2017, 11:58 AM

    Nice of him to bring his mother along for the day out!

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    Mute Honeybadger197
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    May 14th 2017, 11:59 AM

    @Marcus Philpott: That’s ‘hilarious’

    91
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    May 14th 2017, 12:00 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: No, that’s his teacher

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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    May 14th 2017, 12:05 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: very witty, nearly choked on my bacon and egg!!…

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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    May 14th 2017, 12:07 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: very witty, nearly choked on my bacon and egg!!

    12
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    Mute John Flanagan
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    May 14th 2017, 12:09 PM

    @Tweety McTweeter: Of course we all know that she’s his wife but your remark about her being Macron’s “teacher” is pretty close to home.

    33
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    May 14th 2017, 2:11 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: I assume you made the same remark about Trump and his wife?

    43
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 14th 2017, 12:45 PM

    The Donald marries a woman 30 years younger and that’s ok, Macron marries a woman 20 older and it’s scandalous. The Donald with zero political experience and is elected President of the US and it’s brilliant. Macron who stands for election for the first time and gets elected is the Devil incarnate. Got to love the hypocrisy of some commentators on here.

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    May 14th 2017, 12:57 PM

    @Mick Jordan: hes an investment banker hes not better than donald.

    54
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 14th 2017, 1:02 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: And the Donald is a Property Speculator and a Bankrupt.

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    Mute Marcus Philpott
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    May 14th 2017, 1:28 PM

    @Mick Jordan: Donald marrying Melania wasn’t OK in the eyes of Trumps critics hence why it is being thrown back in Macron’s face. FYI Macron married the woman who groomed him as a child.

    36
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 14th 2017, 1:33 PM

    So Trump supporters claiming the higher moral ground is all BS then!

    15
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 14th 2017, 1:35 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: Actually it was him that persued her for several years after leaving school. But don’t let the truth stand in the way.

    32
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    Mute Daniel Doran
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    May 14th 2017, 1:44 PM

    @Mick Jordan: No, I am pretty sure we heard a load of snarky comments about the age disparity between Donald and Meliana too, as well as other disparaging remarks that referenced her career and nationality. So yeah, you’re wrong about that bud.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    May 14th 2017, 1:52 PM

    @Mick Jordan: Marcus will be back in a few minutes. He’s just commenting on another thread as Jack Cassidy.

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    Mute Tom
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    May 14th 2017, 2:27 PM

    @Mick Jordan: Melania was 28 when they met. Macron was half that age.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    May 14th 2017, 3:23 PM

    @Mick Jordan: To be honest I’m a bit creeped out by Macrons wife. She met him first when she taught at his secondary school when he was 15 and she was 39. Apparently they didn’t have sexual relations but his family sent him away to break up the relationship. She divorced her husband and married him later on. It could be true love but if it had been a 39 year old male teacher with a 15 year old girl there would be uproar wouldn’t there ? She shouldn’t have been messing around with a 15 year old in my opinion.

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    Mute Tony Daly
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    May 14th 2017, 6:15 PM

    @Catherine Sims: she never messed around with a 15 year old. You have an interesting imagination.

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    Mute Marcus Philpott
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    May 14th 2017, 12:01 PM

    Another childless European leader. They care less about what sort of country is being left to future generations. Troubling.

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    Mute alphanautica
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    May 14th 2017, 12:17 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: We should really elect that unemployed mum with 19 kids from the Daily Mail. She’ll know what to do.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    May 14th 2017, 2:12 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: yeah just like Mrs May, clueless.

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    Mute DaisyChainsaw
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    May 14th 2017, 6:56 PM

    @Marcus Philpott: Are you Linn Wiberg’s boyfriend?
    http://radarcollective.com/linnwiberg/page/47/

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    Mute Jack Cassady
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    May 14th 2017, 12:50 PM

    A great day for the Muslim population of Europe.

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    Mute Matty kinevan
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    May 14th 2017, 12:08 PM

    I wouldn’t have voted for him but best of luck anyways

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    Mute John Flanagan
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    May 14th 2017, 12:15 PM

    How long will Macron be able to stick to his Presidential duties for the next five years? Something about his character & his lack of political experience may test his ability to lead France back to what it was once before or I might be wrong…so good luck to Macron as he’ll need loads of it, given the current state of his basket-case of a country.

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    Mute Liam Mc Loughlin
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    May 14th 2017, 1:31 PM

    @John Flanagan: and I’m sure you had similar concerns about Trumps lack of experience and character. Its definitely not a case of you just disagreeing with Macron ideologically.

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    Mute Rachel Doux
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    May 14th 2017, 10:02 PM

    So, two years experience as minister of the economy doesn’t count?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 14th 2017, 12:22 PM

    Ahh the bitterness of those who backed the loser of the French election. They are still crying “Doom, Doom, the end of the World is nigh”.

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    May 14th 2017, 12:56 PM

    @Mick Jordan: you do realise they put an investment banker in power. Surely has no conflicts. Its not lile his kinda didnt cause a recession.

    43
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 14th 2017, 1:06 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: He worked for a bank several years ago. So how is that any worse than a Property Speculator or a Professional Politician or a Lawyer or a School Teacher.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    May 14th 2017, 1:56 PM

    @Mick Jordan: Sure Mick you know well there is a /pol/ delegation here on the journal all the time.

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    Mute Bobby Neary
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    May 14th 2017, 11:59 AM

    Sacré bleu wouldn’t fancy that job…

    18
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    Mute Dolly White
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    May 14th 2017, 1:49 PM

    Brigitte in baby blue just like Melania Trump at Donald’s inauguration

    15
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    May 14th 2017, 2:20 PM

    @Dolly White: Melania invented the colour blue? That’s amazing!!!

    18
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    Mute DaisyChainsaw
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    May 14th 2017, 4:02 PM

    Jackie O went to the future and stole it from her, you know.

    6
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    Mute Stouts O Shea
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    May 14th 2017, 12:11 PM

    Not your grab by the p…y type
    More like your put milk in first type

    13
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    Mute Giovanni Casermaggio
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    May 14th 2017, 3:23 PM

    I might be wrong but I have the feeling he is the right person to the economy of the EU (27 countries )

    11
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    Mute Paul Quirke
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    May 14th 2017, 3:34 PM

    @Giovanni Casermaggio: I agree

    11
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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    May 14th 2017, 1:29 PM

    Did Francois leave the Vespa and helmet at the Palace for Emmanuel, in case he needs to pop into town for crumpets.

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    Mute gregory
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    May 14th 2017, 1:32 PM
    6
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    Mute Daniel Doran
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    May 14th 2017, 1:41 PM

    @Mick Jordan: no, I am pretty sure I heard snarky comments about that too. So yeah, you’re wrong.

    11
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    May 14th 2017, 1:49 PM

    @Daniel Doran: Worng that the so called Alt Right are claiming the higher moral ground. Nah I don’t think so.

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    Mute Niall O D
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    May 14th 2017, 12:13 PM

    A put milk into the p…y before grabbing it type?

    7
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    Mute Michele Savage
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    May 14th 2017, 12:04 PM

    Trés vite!

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