New MEP office opens in Cork city centre
Green Party Ireland South MEP Grace O'Sullivan has cited Cork's vibrancy and population size, and the fact that it's an EU Mission City, as reasons to base an office here.
A new MEP constituency office has opened in Cork city centre.
Waterford native and Ireland South MEP Grace O’Sullivan has said she hopes the Washington Street office will become a “green hub” and a place where members of the public can learn about the workings of the European Union as well as serving as a constituency clinic.
The office, which is funded by the European Union, will have a staff of two but public access will be by appointment only.
Ms O’Sullivan was elected to the European Parliament in 2019 and had opened a constituency office in Waterford city, close to her home in Tramore, Co Waterford, but she closed this during the Covid 19 lockdowns and has decided to move her office to Cork city.
The next European elections are set to take place in 2024.
“I represent the constituency of Ireland South, which is twelve counties stretching from Wicklow to Clare, and from Kerry to Wexford,” Ms O’Sullivan told Tripe + Drisheen.
“In terms of population density, Cork is where you get the largest number of people. I am here for multiple reasons, but one of those is that Cork was awarded the City Missions as an open call across the EU to support carbon neutrality by 2023.”
“You have a huge student population here too, and it’s a vibrant, developing city. For all those reasons I thought it was the place to go.”
Ms O’Sullivan said she hoped the office’s central location on Washington St would encourage good public engagement with her office.
Ms O’Sullivan sits on two committees of the European Parliament: the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee and the Fisheries Committee, where she says her interest is in “healthy oceans.” and Maritime Spacial Planning.
EU employment opportunities
She works in both Brussels and Strasbourg as well as going on diplomatic missions in her capacity as an MEP, and will be visiting Palestine “soon.”
The proximity of her new office to UCC and Cork’s other educational facilities means she feels well placed not only to “create a platform where people can find out about the work of the European Union,” but also to encourage young Irish people to apply for work within EU institutions, where she said there is a lot of employment opportunity.
“Since Brexit, Ireland is the only member state of the 27 member states that has English as our main language,” she said. “So Irish people are sought after in the institutions. I spoke to undergraduates and postgraduates in UCC about the range of opportunities available in Europe: if you have English and another language, such as Irish, the EU is your oyster.”
Ms O’Sullivan said that especially for those with an interest in the environment, good engagement and a good understanding of the workings of the European Union were essential.
“The vast majority of our environmental legislation is coming from the European Union and then being transposed into Irish Law,” she said. “It’s very interesting and it’s complex sometimes, but I think in the end it’s better that we’re part of a union of nations than that we’re isolated out on the edge of Europe.”