Proinsias has served as Labour MEP for Dublin since 1999. He represented Dublin North-West in the Dail for 20 years. Proinsias was elected leader of The Workers Party in 1988, and left in 1992 to found Democratic Left. He led DL into the 1994-1997 Rainbow Government, where he served as Minister for Social Welfare. His achievements included introducing the first ever National Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Many women also remember Proinsias as the Minister who delivered justice when he ensured that 70,000 women who had been paid a lower social welfare rate than men received their back payments. He has also served on the European Convention, that produced the Draft European Constitution, which was in turn the basis for the Lisbon Treaty.
European Record - Solidarity and Fairness
Known as a campaigner for consumer and workers’ rights, Proinsias was a member of the Parliament enquiry into the collapse of Equitable Life, which affected thousands of insurance policy holders in Ireland and elsewhere.
In the European Parliament, Proinsias has worked and campaigned on a variety of issues ranging from human rights to workers’ rights as a member of the parliament’s employment policy committee. A tireless advocate for Palestinian rights, Proinsias is Vice-Chair of the Parliament’s Delegation to the Palestinian Legislative Council and has visited Gaza and the West Bank a number of times. He has also campaigned against the use of Shannon Airport by the CIA for the so-called ‘extraordinary rendition’ of abducted prisoners to jurisdictions where they faced torture. Proinsias was a member of the Parliament enquiry, which found that Ireland was in breach of its international human rights obligations by facilitating aircraft known to be involved in extraordinary renditions flights at Irish airports.
In the Parliament, Proinsias is active in the Trade Union Co-Ordination Intergroup, the Disability Intergroup and the ATD Fourth World Intergroup, which addresses poverty in the EU.
He is also a member of Solidar, (‘solidarity without borders’), a Europe-wide network campaigning on a range of issues in Europe and around the world. Click here to find out more about Solidar’s ‘Decent Work, Decent Life’ campaign. Proinsias has also taken up the issue of child labour in parliamentary reports and participated in a field trip to Andra Pradesh, India, with Concern International (Click here for further info).
Proinsias is a very active member of the Socialist Group, and of three Parliament committees: the Social Affairs and Employment Committee, the Petitions Committee – which hears petitions from individual citizens – and the Security and Defence Committee. He has had a number of reports adopted by Parliament, including the report on the future of the European Social Model, which he co-authored.
what are your views on this topic?social welfare? yes the needy need it but what about the fraudlent claims?
04.06.2009
Reply from Proinsias De Rossa
Dear Julie,
Thanks for your question. My position is that no one should receive
benefits they´re not entitled to but that everyone should receive what
they are entitled to. Special measures need to be put in place to ensure
that people, particularly those who are on the margins of society, are
given assistance to claim what they´re entitled to.
Best wishes,
Proinsias De Rossa MEP
The role of regional and local government
03.06.2009
Question from
What are your thoughts on how the latest proposed amendments to the Irish Firearms Acts - as contained in the Criminal Justice (Misc.Provisions) Bill 2009 - contravene the EU directive on Firearms (91/477/EEC) by requiring all Irish firearms owners to only purchase ammunition or firearms from Irish registered firearms dealers instead of the current (and in force since 1964) laws that allow them to purchase from any registered firearms dealer in the EU so long as the appropriate paperwork is in place?
04.06.2009
Reply from Proinsias De Rossa
Dear ,
Thanks for your question. To be honest, I haven´t received any
correspondence on this particular issue so wasn´t aware of it but I will
bring it to the attention of the Labour Party´s justice spokesperson in
the Dail, Pat Rabbitte TD who´s dealing with it in the Dail. Our initial
position on the Minister´s proposals is set out in Pat´s statement of 20
May, available at www.labour.ie
Best wishes,
Proinsias De Rossa MEP
Europe's role in the world
31.05.2009
Question from
My question relates to Europe’s Overseas Aid policy.
Would you campaign to ensure that the European Parliament and the European Commission put pressure on Member States to meet their individual aid targets of 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2015?
Given the current economic problems there is a risk that Member States will cut back their overseas aid budget. Failure to meet aid commitments puts the most vulnerable people in the world at risk.
Would you also campaign to ensure that EU overseas aid is transparent and the Accra Agenda for Action is implemented to ensure that aid reaches those people that need it most?
Thank you
04.06.2009
Reply from Proinsias De Rossa
Dear ,
Thanks for your question. The Labour Party is committed to reaching the 0.7% target. Our manifesto for the Euro-elections (available at www.derossa.com and www.labour.ie, p.21) states that "New, innovative sources of financing are needed in addition to delivering existing European aid commitments – notably, attributing at least 0.7% of Gross National Income to development policy – in a more coordinated, efficient and targeted way.". We have also condemned the Government´s decision to slash ODA spending by almost €100 million this year.
With regard to the Accra agenda for action, I was present and voted for the EP´s resolution of 24 March 2009 on ´The EU priorities for the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly´. This urged the Council to sign ´...up to the principles enshrined in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and to the Accra Agenda for Action, in order to improve the quality and delivery of aid´
Do you have either an opinion or a policy regarding the dangers to the Irish people from genetically modified food?
04.06.2009
Reply from Proinsias De Rossa
Dear ,
Thanks for your question. Labour´s manifesto for the last general election included a commitment to initiating studies and relevant research aimed at promoting informed debate on GMO production, with the aim of establishing if it would be in Ireland´s best interests to become one of the few GMO production-free areas in the world over the coming decade. This remains our position.
In the European Parliament I have questioned the Commission about the
Government´s continue failure to enact into Irish law EU legislation on
the controlled use of GMOs - Directive 98/81/EC.
WRITTEN QUESTION E-1237/09 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission Subject: Contained use of GMOs in Ireland
Further to its answer of 17 September 2008 to my Question E-4072/08, what is the current situation with regard to the Commission´s infringement proceedings concerning the contained use of chemicals in Ireland (No 2007/2236)?
E-1237/09EN - Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission (28.4.2009)
Following the assessment of information received from the Irish authorities in response to the letter of formal notice, a number of ongoing issues of non-conformity with Directive 98/81/EC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms have been identified. As a result, the Commission proposes to take the appropriate steps to raise these with the Irish authorities directly.
If re-elected to the EP on 5 June for the Dublin constituency, which is falling from four to three seats, I will continue to work on this issue at European level.
Best wishes,
Proinsias De Rossa MEP
Fisheries
30.05.2009
Question from
Do you not feel at all ashamed as a sitting MEP at having allowed the destruction of our fisheries by the EU?
02.06.2009
Reply from Proinsias De Rossa
Dear ,
Thank you for your question. I know that the fishing community has suffered much and that there is much concern about the future in the industry. But I firmly believe that the E.U. is the only forum that can provide solutions to these problems; a balance has to be struck between the need to conserve fishing resources for future generations and the need to ensure fishing communities have a viable livelihood. I welcome the fact that under the Lisbon Treaty, our directly-elected MEPs will have full ´co-decision´ rights with the Fisheries Council in the development of fisheries policy, and that ´Regional Advisory Councils´ representing local communities can be established. These developments I feel will make policy formation in this area more open and transparent and will move toward returning the administration of fisheries to the regions. I look forward to working more closely with fishing communities on the future reform of the CFP, as launched with the Commisison´s Green Paper published in April.
