Sir, – Prof Joachim Fischer (Letters, November 8th) raises some points worthy of discussion in relation to Irish representation in the EU, something we in European Movement Ireland have been working to promote for a number of years.
The application and success rates of Irish applicants for positions in EU institutions is a concern as they’re not at the level where we’d like them to be.
What is needed is a pipeline that will ensure future success for Irish candidates.
It would be remiss in any discourse on this topic to ignore the efforts of the Government and stakeholders to create easier pathways, with much work and initiatives being carried out.
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The Government and Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne TD has initiated “A Career for EU” strategy to increase Irish representation in EU institutions and agencies.
It aims to significantly increase the number of Irish officials within EU institutions, to increase the number of Irish people applying for jobs in the EU, while also improving awareness of EU careers in Ireland across all sectors.
As part of that strategy, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Foreign Affairs have increased the number of scholarships available to students applying to the College of Europe.
Approximately one-third of College of Europe graduates go on to work in EU institutions, with a further significant number going on to work in diplomatic services and other key areas.
Language barriers are a major challenge, they always have been – and that is why we need to continually invest and support language diversity, a point Prof Fischer notes.
However, now that Irish is fully recognised as an official EU language, there are additional pathways for Irish people looking to forge their career in the EU. Already, there are around 200 Irish-language staff working in EU institutions translating documents into Irish. As your own paper recently reported (“State lobbies for Irish-only recruitment drives in EU”, News, November 2nd), like several of our EU neighbours, the Government is also engaging with the European Commission on country-specific recruitment campaigns.
There will always be a place for Irish voices at the European table. We must continue to work together to ensure they find their way there.
Finally, let’s turn our attention to the Blue Star Programme, referred to by Prof Joachim Fischer. From a humble pilot of 30 schools in 2011, the programme, which teaches primary school pupils about European cultures and the EU through creative activities and projects which complement the national primary curriculum, has grown from strength to strength.
Since then, over 1,000 primary schools and approximately 120,000 children throughout the country have participated in the programme and gained a better understanding and knowledge of other European cultures, the EU and how it affects their lives.
As we mark 50 years of Ireland’s membership of the EU, our shared diversity should be welcomed, embraced and further expanded in this challenging geo-political world. – Yours, etc,
NOELLE O CONNELL,
CEO,
European Movement
Ireland,
Dublin 2.