The European Parliament Office in Ireland

11 March 2010: Do we need quotas to ensure women are fairly represented?

On Friday, 12 March, a forum entitled 'Do we need Quotas to ensure Women are fairly represented?' will take place at the Royal Irish Academy on Dawson Street in Dublin.  Labour Party MEP Nessa Childers will be joined on the panel by  Rachel Doyle of the National Women's Council of Ireland, Elaine Byrne, columnist with the Irish Times and Gail McElroy, a lecturer at Trinity College's Department of Politics.

9 March 2010: Irish winner who will compete for Charlemagne Youth Prize announced

'You are here', a book project including contributions from 14 young people across Europe, was today announced as the Irish winner which will go forward to compete for the Charlemagne European Youth Prize in Aachen in Germany on 11 May.  The project, which was submitted by John Holten from Ardee, Co. Louth, brought together young people born after 1980, 'who enjoy freedom of movement in Europe and work in a country they did not grow up in.'  These young people have also grown up without the shadow of the Berlin Wall.  Mr Holten said that the project had succeeded in creating 'greater European awareness among [the] group, including people who would normally not get a chance to meet each other or publish their work together.'

5 March 2010: EP News - What is happening in the European Parliament next week?

Next week, MEPs will discuss and vote on a range of issues, including:

• Less red tape for smaller companies
• Bringing your pets on holidays
• MEPs call for independent report into Israeli military operation in Gaza
• EU internal market and consumer protection
• Low carbon technologies
• The EU's 2020 strategy - economic recovery for the EU and a smarter, greener economy