Major campaign to drive voter turnout in Louth in EU elections

^{Pictured above: L-R: Sligo musician, photographer, film and TV writer/director Sid Rainey; Sligo singer-songwriter Perry Blake; European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland Schuman trainee Godwins Kokama; and Fionnuala Croker, head of office (acting) of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland (Photo: Marc O’Sullivan)}

A major campaign to mobilise voter turnout in Louth in the 7th June European elections, as part of a nationwide campaign to mobilise Irish voter turnout took place last Thursday.

Organised by the European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in Ireland, the “Use Your Vote” campaign is bringing a European Elections 2024 Roadshow to each of Ireland’s three European Parliament constituencies, including Ireland Midlands-North-West, where Louth is situated.

The European Parliament Liaison Office is holding a number of events to demonstrate the impact the EU has on the daily lives of people living in Ireland, including people in Louth, 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 launch of the “Use Your Vote” campaign in Ireland. 

The poll results 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 findings show 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%). 54% of people are aware of the European Pet Passport (54%), which allows people to freely travel with their cat or dog within the EU.

According to the new research, there is high agreement among people that many of our most important laws come from the EU, providing an important layer of democracy for Ireland.

There is also high agreement that the shared nature of regulations and directives between member states, meaning that no one member state can undercut others by having lower standards, is important for the protection of human rights and equality, workers’ rights and employment law, online safety, and environmental protection and climate action.

The vast majority of Irish people recognise the importance of representation in the EU, according to the poll, 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. 

EU citizens who witnessed firsthand some of the most tumultuous and significant events in Europe’s recent history – whether they lived through times of oppression or experienced the fragility of democracy – are featured in a new short film being released as part of the EU-wide “Use Your Vote” campaign.

Now grandparents, the four-minute film shows them today describing to their grandchildren the world-changing moments they experienced. Their testimonies are intended as a powerful statement about the importance of voting in the European elections to protect democracy for future generations. The short film can be viewed online at https://elections.europa.eu/video/en-ie.  

Attending the launch of the “Use Your Vote” campaign in Midlands-North-West, 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.

“The centre piece of our 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.”

For more information about the “Use Your Vote” campaign, visit www.elections.europa.eu.