“Use Your Vote” campaign launch in Dublin constituency

The European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in Ireland is bringing its “Use Your Vote” European Elections 2024 Roadshow to the Dublin constituency tomorrow (09.05.24) to drive voter turnout in the 7th June European elections and as part of its 9th May Europe Day celebrations.
 
As part of the “Use Your Vote” campaign and in celebration of Europe Day in Ireland, special activities are taking place, including to demonstrate the impact the EU has on the daily lives of people living in Ireland and why they should vote in the European elections.
 
The findings of new research into Irish sentiment towards the EU, carried out among the public by Red C, have been published to coincide with the “Use Your Vote” campaign in Ireland.  
 
The poll results show that the vast majority of Irish people recognise the importance of representation in the EU, and for the majority, it is important for Ireland to have MEPs that will actively advocate for Ireland's interests within the EU. The research also shows there is an appetite among three in four Irish adults to hear more about the goings on of the European Parliament.
 
Announcing the Europe Day Dublin constituency launch of the “Use Your Vote” campaign, head of office (acting) of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, Fionnuala Croker, said: “The European Parliament Liaison Office has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage people to vote in the European elections on 7th June. We chose Europe Day on 9th May to have our Dublin constituency launch, as Europe Day celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historic 'Schuman declaration' that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.“
 
“The centre piece of our ‘Use Your Vote’ campaign is our four-minute ‘Use Your Vote’ film, which features people in Europe who have witnessed first-hand the transformative power of democracy in their lives. These exceptional individuals wanted to pass on their personal stories to their grandchildren and the next generation of Europeans more widely. Their testimonies paint a story of how voting is not something we should take for granted. The more people who vote, the stronger is our democracy. For this reason, we hope to achieve as high a turnout as possible on 7th June, including among Dublin constituency voters.”
 
The EU’s impact on Ireland – new insights
The findings of the new research into Irish sentiment towards the EU also show that a majority of the population recognises the large contribution EU membership has had on Ireland, including in relation to freedom of travel (87%), the availability of workers (83%), foreign direct investment (77%), human rights (71%), transport infrastructure (65%), and income levels (61%). Seven in 10 people believe that EU membership has improved overall quality of life here.
 
The research show that a strong majority of the population are aware of the benefits of EU membership relating to travelling within the EU, including free movement (90%); the European Health Insurance Card (86%), which provides basic healthcare to EU citizens when travelling in member states; the Erasmus programme (76%), which enables EU students to study in another EU country; abolished roaming charges (76%); and compensation for delayed, cancelled or overbooked flights, and lost luggage (62%).
 
According to the new research, there is high agreement among people in Ireland that many of our most important laws come from the EU, providing an important layer of democracy for Ireland, which is important for the protection of human rights and equality, workers’ rights and employment law, online safety, and environmental protection and climate action.
 
Europe Day “Use Your Vote” Events
Among the special events taking place to mark Europe Day tomorrow are a special illumination of Leinster House in the evening, while the Beckett Bridge will be illuminated this evening (08.05.24) and tomorrow evening (09.05.24) in the EU colours.
 
The European Parliament Liaison Office is partnering with the Art of Coffee chain of cafés to provide a free branded chocolate, with a reminder to vote, with every hot drink sold in their 14 outlets on 9th May. A further initiative will see a number of pubs in Dublin and elsewhere providing #UseYourVote beermats for use on Europe Day.
 
An evening of music celebrating Europe and the 20th anniversary of the 2004 enlargement is being broadcast live on Lyric FM from the Royal Academy of Music on 9th May.
 
For more information about the “Use Your Vote” campaign, visit www.elections.europa.eu.