Dublin street party to mark Europe Day

EU EMBASSIES will bring traditional food and drink from their home countries to a special Europe Day “street party” in Dublin today.

The party will be centred in the European Commission and Parliament offices on the corner of Dawson Street and Molesworth Street, while down the road a special Monday sitting will see MEPs participate in a Dáil debate for the first time. They will speak and answer questions on EU issues before leaving for Strasbourg for this week’s sitting of the European Parliament.

Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton said the special Dáil sitting was “a statement of intent” by the Government in its dealings with the European Union and was was part of the Government’s “climb-back” in achieving “full engagement” with the EU.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Ireland’s EU Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn will also participate in the Dáil session.

Outside the EU offices, a band will play eastern European gypsy music, while visitors will be offered free lunchtime snacks and information on the European project. As 2011 also marks European Year of Volunteering, visitors will be able to meet a variety of volunteer organisations.

Ms Creighton, who will greet Ms Geoghegan-Quinn this morning, said the moves marked a “new approach to engaging in Europe and to restoring relations with our EU partners”.

At 11.30am, the North Strand Kontra Band will play on the steps of the EU offices while the Clondalkin Intercultural Club Choir will sing on a stage indoors at 1pm. There will also be an introduction to the Bealtaine Festival Age and Opportunity, as well as polka music, the Wild Bees Nest Irish Singers, the Slovak Folklore Ensemble Ostroha and the Winter Jazzmen.

Ms Creighton will travel to France for talks tomorrow and on Wednesday at the invitation of the French government, before travelling on for similar talks with the German administration on Thursday. She is expected to make a courtesy call on German chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.

Europe Day marks the call on May 9th, 1950, by the then French foreign minister Robert Schuman, for a new beginning in Europe.