Sinn Féin MEP candidate Lynn Boylan has denied opposition claims that the party is 'Eurosceptic', describing their stance as 'Eurocritical', and adding that they assess each measure on whether it is good for Ireland.
Ms Boylan, who is running in the Dublin constituency, told BreakingNews.ie: "We have made no apologies for what we would consider as being 'Eurocritical' in that we take each piece of legislation on its merits. In some areas it makes absolute sense to cooperate, such as climate change. That's my background, and I'd love to go back to Europe to work on that.
"It makes sense on an international basis to pool our resources and show leadership in terms of climate action. In other areas, you do need flexibility, and you do need to keep decision-making much closer to the national parliaments, local government and local communities.
"We take each measure on its own merit, and whether it is good for Ireland.
"Decisions need to be made as close to the people as possible. It's not about pushing sovereignty on everything, we take each measure as it comes and analyse how it works for the people of Ireland."
Ms Boylan, who is a senator and Sinn Féin spokesperson for climate justice, is looking to return to Brussels after a five-year spell as an MEP between 2014 and 2019.
While immigration has become a huge issue in the local and European elections ahead of the Friday, June 7th, vote, Ms Boylan said the housing crisis is still the biggest issue raised by people at the doors.
Housing crisis
"Housing is the absolute number one issue that comes up on the doors. I've been canvassing since January and that's the clear issue for people, the lack of housing. It's frustrating for people whether they are directly affected or their adult children are directly affected.
"The lack of school places, the lack of occupational therapy for children with special needs, it's all linked to people not being able to live and work in the city.
"That plays into migration because what we're seeing is the Government can't seem to manage any of the departments or services, nothing seems to be working properly. It's the same with migration, it's chaotic and the Government's approach to it is reactionary.
"It is a big issue coming up, but I still think the housing crisis is the number one issue."
Ms Boylan said her party has a number of issues with the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
It has no search and rescue, so it will allow people to continue to drown in the Mediterranean.
"In relation to the EU Migration Pact, Sinn Féin has a lot of concerns around the pact. We don't support opting in to it in its entirety. We have concerns from a human rights perspective in terms of the detention centres that will happen under this pact. It doesn't rule out using third countries. We've seen deals before around Libya and Turkey. It has no search and rescue, so it will allow people to continue to drown in the Mediterranean.
"Ireland is one of two countries with the ability to opt out, and we believe from a sovereignty point of view it's in Ireland's interests not to opt in because it allows us flexibility, and we're also in a unique situation in sharing a border and Common Travel Area with a country that is not in the EU."
Returning to housing, Ms Boylan said she disagrees with calls from a number of her competitors for EU seats who have called for the creation of a housing commissioner.
She feels it would be more helpful if the EU contributed more through the European Investment Bank, and through the loosening of some fiscal rules.
There's only one scheme in the country that's currently availing of European Investment Bank funding. That needs to change.
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"It's a national competence. I know some of my competitors are calling for a commissioner for housing, I don't agree with that. It would let the minister off the hook. I think we need to be able to hold Minister O'Brien, or whoever the housing minister is, to account.
"Where the EU can assist is around the European Investment Bank. There's only one scheme in the country that's currently availing of European Investment Bank funding. That needs to change, we need to be able to access that finance much easier, and on a much more ambitious scale.
"The second concern we have is over the fiscal rules. There doesn't seem to be any learnings from the times of austerity. Government MEPs have voted to effectively restore those fiscal rules, which tie the hands of governments on spending not just on housing but also around critical infrastructure, whether that's climate change or public transport.
"We don't support that, and we would like to see an easing of those fiscal rules so you can have the ambition and investment that's required for housing and all the other areas we need to fix in this country."
Sinn Féin MEP Chris McManus recently voted against the EU Nature Restoration law, and Ms Boylan said Sinn Féin supports a lot of the legislation but feels small farmers need more support.
We disgaree with the the lack of funding for farmers, the very marginal farmers barely scraping a living.
"We disgaree with the the lack of funding for farmers, the very marginal farmers barely scraping a living. As it is, they would be expected to carry out the [burden of] nature restoration. There's no disagreement in terms of the biodiversity crisis, it's very real and depressing to see species and water quality declining.
"I'd love to get back to Brussels to focus on fixing that biodiversity crisis and making sure the nature restoration law will work for everyone and all communities.
"If it's funded, I think it can be hugely beneficial for rural communities and an alternative income stream for farmers. But it has to be funded, and at the moment there's no additional money for such an ambitious project."
