Meet Your MEP - Ciarán Cuffe

Ciarán Cuffe is an Irish politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Dublin constituency since July 2019. He is a member of the Green Party and was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2002 to 2011.

Apart from representing your country (or region) and getting to work with your fellow MEPs, what is the best thing about being an MEP?
Working in the European Parliament with MEPs from 28 different countries representing over 500 million people means that we can bring about much more far-reaching change on issues like climate change.  
 
What is the one thing that you hope to achieve at EU level in the next session that would affect young people’s day-to-day life in Ireland?
Young people have shown through the #FridaysforFuture marches how much climate change is a hugely scary prospect for them- I want to ensure these voices are heard and that we take climate change seriously.  

 
Apart from Brexit, what is the biggest challenge facing Europe today and how can the European Parliament help to tackle?
One of the biggest challenges in Europe is the rise of the far right, and with it a backlash against women and minorities. The European Parliament is a symbol of diversity and cooperation, a bridge between different cultures and languages -  we have to continue to further this positive vision of an open and tolerant society and work together. 

Which subject you studied in school is the most useful to you in your role as an MEP?
Studying languages at school has been hugely useful. The European parliament sits in both Belgium and France, and having a decent knowledge of French has made it much easier to communicate with others. I’m also trying to use Irish in the Parliament and will try and take a refresher course so I can better communicate in our first language.
 
What would you like to tell your 16 year old self? 
Don’t let adults tell you what you can or can’t do in life. Young people such as Greta Thunberg and the #FridaysforFuture movement have shown us that adults have so much to learn from children rather than the other way round. It is important to speak out when you see injustice, and remember that your outlook on life is every bit as valuable as those of adults.

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In a year when Brexit has dominated the news and political agendas, the value of the European Union and Ireland’s place in it has probably never been so significant for young people. The #DidEUknow Young Social Innovators campaign aims to deepen awareness amongst young people of the role that the EU plays in their daily lives.

The campaign is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs Communicating Europe Initiative.