A recent study by ETH Zurich and Anthropic revealed that AI can be used to identify pseudonymous online users at scale.
I questioned the EDPB on it’s implications and the upcoming European GDPR guidelines and how they will be implemented across the member states.
Faced with the power of huge corporations and their lobbying, often targeting the Irish government specifically, it is vital that we have appropriate AI regulation backed by strict enforcement to ensure compliance.
See my full interview on Oireachtas TV here: https://youtu.be/5eaySNZ6gN8
A proposed EU gambling tax is not a bad idea. The growing gambling industry, increasingly transnational, is dangerous and destructive to our societies and should be taxed heavily due to the damage it causes.
Speaking in the European Parliament’s plenary debate on the rights and protection of victims of crime, Independent MEP from Clare, Michael McNamara, called for urgent action at national and European level to support victims of drug debt intimidation, a growing crisis he described as affecting young people across Ireland and, increasingly, across the EU.
MEP McNamara drew attention to the particular vulnerability of young people caught in cycles of drug debt, noting that victims are routinely threatened not to approach police and they comply because they do not believe they will receive protection. He described this pattern as increasingly prevalent right across the Ireland South constituency, is no longer confined to cities and argued it cannot be unique to Ireland as drug use rises across the European Union.
Speaking in the Chamber, McNamara highlighted: “These are often young people who are afraid to seek help. They are told: don’t go to the gardaí. And they don’t, because they don’t believe they will receive protection. We need to find a way instil confidence in people that they will receive protection.”
The scale of the problem at home is stark. Ireland’s first national data report on drug-related intimidation, published this year by D.R.I.V.E. (Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) and the Health Research Board, recorded over 1000 cases across every county of the State in 2024-2025. Almost two-thirds of victims were living with family members and over one-third of those cases were actively experiencing intimidation at the time they sought help. Drug-related debt was present in over two-thirds of cases, ranging from under €100 to more than €20,000. Nearly three in ten victims endured intimidation for more than a year, and in over a third of cases no support was offered to the individual despite their disclosure.
Responding to this report, McNamara stated: These figures should be a wake-up call for the Government. Over a thousand cases recorded in a single year and that is only what has been disclosed. Behind every one of those cases is a family living in fear. We need properly resourced support services, we need victims to believe they will be protected if they come forward, and we need a serious political commitment to tackling this at home as well as in Europe
MEP McNamara called on the European Commission and member states to treat victims of drug debt intimidation as the victims of crime they are, ensuring access to genuine protection and meaningful support. He argued that as drug use increases across the EU, drug debt enforcement through intimidation and violence is a pan-European problem that demands a coordinated European response alongside robust action at national level.
Drug Debt intimidation becomes a bigger problem every day as drug use increase across Ireland and other EU states. The victims of this crime need help now from Governmental and law enforcement agencies.
The EU’s unwillingness to criticise the illegal attacks on Iran and resultant civilian deaths undermines its condemnation of the rise in use of the death penalty there.
Michael McNamara MEP (Ireland / Independent) has welcomed today’s vote in the European Parliament to refer the EU–Mercosur Agreement and Interim Trade Agreement to the Court of Justice of the EU for an opinion on their compatibility with the EU Treaties.
McNamara was a co-signatory to the request for Court’s over sight and voted in favour of the resolution, which was adopted by a narrow margin. The referral suspends parliamentary consent until the Court has ruled, a process expected to take up to two years.
Commenting on the outcome, McNamara said:
“The Mercosur Agreement and Interim Trade Agreement have now been referred to the European Court to test their legality. This is a small but important victory for those who oppose the betrayal of European farmers, and for those who believe that the rule of law must prevail especially in these strange times.” McNamara has consistently raised concerns about the agreement’s legal basis, democratic accountability, and its implications for agricultural standards, environmental protections, and fair competition. He stressed that judicial scrutiny is not an obstruction, but a necessary safeguard to ensure that major international trade agreements fully comply with EU law and Treaty obligations.
Ireland South MEP Michael McNamara has called for the Government to introduce free public transport across Ireland, following the IMF’s warning that “all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide” should the conflict in the Middle East continue.
“The Government’s call on households to cut fuel use is meaningless unless it concentrates on encouraging the public to use alternatives,” McNamara said. “Public transport needs to be made free for users for the next six months. This would cost up to €275 million, based on a 2023 report commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA) from Ernst and Young.
“It must be acknowledged that this is a significant sum of money but it is less than the amount the Government is expecting to spend on the upcoming six-month EU Presidency and is small compared to the billions of euro thrown around by the Government during the Covid era. “Making buses, trams and trains free is a relatively easy measure for the Government to implement and one that will make a difference to ordinary people, as it will result in a new focus on public transport alternatives,” McNamara concluded.
Clare-based MEP Michael McNamara has today led a letter signed by Members of the European Parliament to HR/VP Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, demanding immediate intervention following the seizure by Israeli military forces of civilian vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Crete.
Among those unaccounted for is Irish citizen and Ennis man Martin Guilfoyle, who is among 7 Irish citizens who were aboard one of the intercepted vessels. His whereabouts and welfare remain unknown. McNamara has also written separately to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Irish Permanent Representative to the EU and the Irish Ambassador in Tel Aviv demanding urgent consular intervention on their behalf.
The letter, backed by MEPs from various different political groups, describes the interception as a serious act of aggression by a foreign military power in European waters, hundreds of miles from Gaza, with no legal or security justification. The co-signatories are calling on Kallas to intervene at the highest diplomatic level, summon the Israeli Head of Mission to the EU, place sanctions on the table, and report urgently to the European Parliament.
McNamara said of the incident: “This is a serious act of aggression by a foreign military in European waters. EU citizens – including Irish citizens – are unaccounted for. I am not prepared to wait while bureaucratic processes run their course. I am demanding immediate action from Kallas and the EU to act.
The Global Sumud Flotilla departed from Italy on Sunday carrying over 400 civilians from multiple countries on a humanitarian mission to Gaza. Twenty-two of its vessels were intercepted by Israeli military forces on 29 April. The interception took place approximately 600 nautical miles from Gaza which is far beyond any previous Israeli interdiction of a civilian flotilla.
McNamara added “Israel cannot continue to behave like a rogue state without consequences”
At the FEMM public hearing on AI and Gender-Based Violence, I spoke about the importance of effective drafting on a ban on so-called nudification apps.
Irish neutrality has served us well since the foundation of this State and continues to do so.
I questioned the Minister for Health on the timing of the announcement of the HIQA review into a second A&E in the Mid West and whether it was determined by the upcoming elections. He confirmed the terms of reference had not even been finalised.
Ireland South needs a representative in Europe to call out the disparity between what is being said and what is being done on the environment and sustainable energy.
This government, on the recent referendum, on immigration and how they have labelled the response of communities, and throughout this Dáil term, have been the greatest purveyors of misinformation in this state.
The proposed Shannon to Dublin water pipeline will result in farmers being hit on the double if it proceeds as planned, according to Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara.
Read MoreI was asked by Newstalk why I am seeking to be elected to the European Parliament.
Deputy Michael McNamara has accused the HSE and Department of Health of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” over plans to outsource the newly built St. Conlon’s Community Nursing Unit in Nenagh as a step-down facility for patients from University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
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The Minister for Health’s announcement of a review of the case for a second Emergency Department for the Mid-West Region must proceed without delay and its conclusions followed up speedily, according to Deputy Michael McNamara.
Read MoreRestriction of Imports (States in violation of obligations under the Genocide Convention and Occupied Territories) Bill 2024 – introduced by Michael McNamara.
On 22 March, the High Court delivered a judgment raising “serious concerns” about the Department of Justice’s handling of information that should have led to somebody being registered on the sex offenders register. It did nothing until until it was raised in the media last week and only then sought a review.
Vulnerable people in precarious situations are being exploited by people traffickers. It’s becoming clear this State is also being exploited by those traffickers.
Following criticism by the High Court of the failure to include a person on the sex offenders register after being informed by UK authorities of a relevant conviction there, I asked the Tánaiste if he had confidence in the Department of Justice and its stewardship.
The EU Migration Pact is comprised of several different pieces of legislation on which the European Parliament voted separately. Lumping them all together into one vote, which will remove the opt-out that Irish people voted for in the Lisbon Treaty, is profoundly undemocratic.
Following the shocking inquest into the death of Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick, I asked for time to be set aside in Dáil Éireann to discuss the ongoing crisis there.
The proposed Nature Restoration Law’s lack of a funding mechanism for farmers required to reduce or abandon farming activities in affected areas is its biggest flaw. In the Burren & Hen Harrier SPA, farmers had funding cancelled after engaging with agri-environment schemes.
There’s a disconnect between what the Government does and what it says on immigration. There’s also a lack of transparency on key data.
Thank you to Ireland AM for their public service in broadcasting live from Limerick this morning on the state of healthcare in the Mid-West.
Independent TD Michael McNamara has called on Dáil Éireann to set aside time for a discussion on the purchase of vast tracts of farmland in South Tipperary by John Magnier and called for measures to combat further concentration of ownership.
My opinion piece in The Sunday Independent on April 14th, 2024.
I outlined to the Dáil why I voted against the nomination of Simon Harris as Taoiseach.
My opinion piece in The Sunday Independent on 31st March, 2024.
I explained to RTÉ Drivetime why I am voting No in the upcoming Referendum on the Family.
Farmers in the Burren and Slieve Aughty areas of County Clare are financially worse off under the agricultural scheme that replaced the Hen Harrier Project and The Burren Life Programme, according to Michael McNamara T.D.
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Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara has criticised the Department of Agriculture for failing to definitively confirm when it will issue reimbursements to 9,200 farmers making investments under the Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) option of the ACRES Co-operation (CP) stream.
Read MoreFarmers in co-operation areas of ACRES making investments, such as fencing, solar pumps, culverts, hedgerow planting and rejuvenation, gates and drinking troughs, are entitled to reimbursements of a portion of their cost. In the latest blow to farmers in the Acres Scheme, however, the Minister has refused to give a commitment that approved investments carried out in 2024 will be reimbursed this year.
Despite regularly citing EU and international legal obligations, the Government fails to clarify how many in direct provision are not entitled to accommodation under EU/international law and says it may not even be able to ascertain the figure.
That figure is likely to be several thousand as it includes the vast majority of those who’re waiting months and years for the Justice Minister to decide on their Leave to Remain applications (after their asylum claims is refused).
Micheal Martin offers more support – but still no money – to farmers in the Burren and Slieve Aughty.
Two years on, the absence of a government plan to accommodate refugees is unacceptable, as is the lack of oversight of accommodation providers.
The Taoiseach has confirmed that even if the Government referendum proposal is passed it will still be possible to discriminate in favour of married couples.
Small businesses in Clare need a break as input costs are rising and footfall in hospitality is down. The Government is adding to the pressure on them instead of helping…
The Government has spent over €800,000 on Ukrainian pets brought to Ireland. I asked why.
The Government is throwing money at providers of accommodation for asylum seekers (€1.88m/day), and Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection (€3.3m/day), but has little, if any, oversight of how many persons are ever actually in the accommodation centres for which it’s paying.
Anyone earning €35k-55k has no hope of securing a home on their income alone even though a large number of public and private sector workers are in this pay bracket.
My opinion piece in The Sunday Independent on 31st January 2024.
3,285 people arrived to Dublin Airport without a valid identity document in 2023, down from 4,968 people in 2022.
Read MoreThe Minister has “dug many a hole to bury large animals in the past” he told the Dáil, advising farmers to get digging in response to the renderers strike. The Dept has issued a notice that Councils will have to approve proposed burial sites in advance. This is simply unworkable.
Has the Department of Agriculture run out of money to pay farmers in ACRES cooperation areas, I asked the Tánaiste.
I outlined my reservations about some aspects of the proposed Digital Services Bill in the Dáil today.
There has been a lot of talk in Ireland about developing renewables. There has been a lot less action from the Government in actually developing renewables.
I questioned the Government about the ACRES payments delay and highlighted how it is putting farmers under financial pressure to pay bills.
The new Planning Bill, designed to hinder access to justice to challenge bad planning and environmental decisions, is problematic.
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Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has described Senator Garret Ahearn’s criticism of Independent TDs who yesterday voted No Confidence in Justice Minister Helen McEntee as “facetious” and “surprising”.
Read MoreA statutory inquiry is needed into the circumstances surrounding the death of Caitriona Lucas and the investigation into her death.
I raised the need for greater community policing with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, especially in Ennis given the recent increase in anti-social behaviour in the town.
The Justice Minister says there’s no link between the failure to adequately police the streets of inner city Dublin and last week’s rioting and looting. I disagree. One leads to the other. I pointed out the growth in anti-social activity in Ennis of late and called for it to be tackled by Gardaí.
I raised the issue of ongoing overcrowding at UHL and the need to make greater use of Ennis, St. Johns and Nenagh Hospitals.
Despite all the promises, there’s still no announcement of funding for Broadford, Cooraclare or any of the many other unsewered settlements across the country to install a sewerage scheme.
The hypocrisy of the European Council position on the Middle East and the war in Ukraine undermines its influence on the world and its founding principles.
The failure to provide any certainty to owners of Ash dieback affected forests or to process afforestation permits highlight the gulf between what’s promised and delivered by the Government.
Clare TD Michael McNamara has called on the Government to shift its focus to keeping elderly people out of nursing homes and ensuring that the necessary supports are provided to assist the provision of appropriate care in the home setting.
Cycle lanes make for better photo-ops than sewerage pipes but Ireland’s sewerage infrastructure deficit needs to be addressed with far greater urgency. Unsewered settlements are not even mentioned in the latest EPA report.
Again, surgeries cancelled in Ennis. Again, A+E in UHL dangerously overcrowded. When will this government ensure Ennis is resourced and utilised to alleviate pressure on Limerick?, I asked the Taoiseach.
This government does not respect neutrality. To train belligerents in a war is not the act of a neutral state nor is the language used to condemn Russian actions in Ukraine when it declines to condemn similar actions by the IDF in Palestine in similar terms.
People are afraid to go to University Hospital Limerick (UHL). Lives will be lost because of the fear but, equally, lives will be lost because that fear is justified. While celebrating being republicans this government has perpetuated huge disparity in healthcare across Ireland.
When I asked what would be done to reduce overcrowding this winter at UHL, the most overcrowded hospital in the country, the Taoiseach told me how much would be spent nationally.
My response to Budget 2024 with a particular focus on agriculture, childcare, disability and education.
Clare TD Michael McNamara is urging government to introduce legislation that combats “unscrupulous” landlords who rent out homes unfit for purpose as well as unscrupulous tenants who do not pay rent and “game the system.”
Read MoreThe ability of unscrupulous landlords to rent out homes unfit for purpose, as well as unscrupulous tenants to not pay rent and game the system, needs to be addressed with legislation not platitudes.
At today’s Oireachtas Health Committee, I tried to bring some clarity to the issues around spinal surgery at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin.
It’s becoming clear, even to the Minister for Agriculture, that the office of the Agri-Food Regulator he has established will not provide the transparency promised.
The number of passengers carried on rail services between Ennis and Limerick during the first six months of 2023 is up 21% on the total figure for 2019.
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In light of the relentless bad weather and excessive rain, Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has urgently called upon the Minister for Agriculture to extend the slurry spreading deadline to the middle of October.
Read MoreThe destruction of the fabric of historical Limerick by local government has been shameful. The new, elected Mayor needs more than ceremonial powers to address the planning, housing, and commercial needs of the city. The Mid-West needs a thriving Limerick City.
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2023-09-20/speech/192/
There is a lot of discussion of the requirement of farmers to address the deterioration in water quality, and they must, but focus is needed on measures required of the forestry sector in which the State, Coillte, is the main actor.
A planning application has been submitted by the UL Hospitals Group for the development of a new €9.95m theatre complex at Ennis Hospital.
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The number of diabetes patients on the waiting list for Community Podiatry Services in County Clare has dropped by 79% since the beginning of the year.
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Independent TD Michael McNamara has echoed calls by the tourism and hospitality industry in County Clare for the Government to ensure that accommodation provided to refugees and asylum seekers is more evenly dispersed across the State.
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Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has received confirmation from Iarnród Éireann of its plans to enhance capacity on rail services between Ennis and Limerick.
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Independent TD Michael McNamara has received confirmation from the HSE that it has sought expressions of interest from third parties in the provision of a new Primary Healthcare Centre in Sixmilebridge and that a Priced Offer process will be undertaken in the third quarter of this year.
Read MoreThe proposed Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023 does nothing to add to the existing prohibition on obstructing somebody from accessing a healthcare facility or harassing somebody. The provisions around communications and conduct “likely to influence the decision of another person” are unimplementable.
The Nature Restoration Law will significantly impact agricultural and maritime communities areas but it’s not clear the Government will introduce the necessary measures to ensure they can remain viable.
97 on trolleys today at UHL in the middle of summer but the government offers no new solution when I raised issue with the Tánaiste today.
Although there’s strong support for it, there’s no agreement on what constitutes public service broadcasting, whether it’s provided by RTÉ, exclusively or at all, and the role of local radio stations.
Political policing cannot be allowed. It has happened before and, under this new policing bill, will happen again.
I wish to express my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of former Minister, Clare TD and Senator Brendan Daly on his passing.
An Bord Pleanála delays as interest rates rise mean homeowners will pay higher mortgages.
An editorial I wrote for yesterday’s Sunday Independent.
The Minister for Agriculture continues to blame the European Commission’s failure to give State Aid approval to the Government’s forestry plans for what will be the lowest annual afforestation rate in decades, if not ever in this State’s history.
RTÉ has paid Revenue €1.2 million to date in settlements related to bogus self-employment contracts and has made provision for “significantly more” for ongoing cases, I was told in response to my questions to members of the Board and senior management today.
Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has called for ongoing consultation with communities hosting refugees and asylum seekers, in particular for the Government to outline its plans to address the increased strain placed on GP services as a result of the arrival of Ukrainian refugees and international protection applicants, citing his hometown in East Clare as an example.
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara says the Government must urgently update the medical criteria for persons wishing to secure a primary medical certificate in order to benefit from the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme (DDDPS).
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara has said the Government must speed up the introduction of legislation which would ban online gambling advertising and severely restrict the broadcast of gambling advertising on TV and radio.
2.8 litre diesel landcruisers while telling us to go electric…cutting farmers’ funds in environmentally designated areas while talking up the Nature Restoration Law…claiming to be personally putting money in farmers’ pockets when administering taxpayers’ funds…shameless.
The days when young people were merely working for pocket money are, sadly, no more. Young people need to be fairly paid for the work they do.
Clare’s first All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship title in 26 years following a 2-22 to 4-11 win over Galway has been lauded by Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara.
Read MoreThe LGMA, comprised of local authority management, seems more powerful that the Minister. He gives assurances and makes policies regarding retained fire fighters and water workers which the LGMA refuses to implement.
Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has warned Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue that the treatment of farmers in the Burren Life Scheme and Hen Harrier Project is undermining confidence in the Nature Restoration Law proposals.
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Independent TD Michael McNamara has secured a commitment from the Minister for Public Expenditure to explore the continuation and expansion of a pilot scheme that delivers essential wastewater infrastructure in coastal communities that are presently unsewered.
Read MoreTreatment of farmers in the Burren Life Scheme and Hen Harrier Project belie Nature Restoration Law proposals. Farmers are promised compensation, as were farmers in the Burren and Hen Harrier Areas, but that promise was abandoned by this government.