Burke visits Moldova
Minister for European Affairs Peter Burke last week visited Chisinau, Moldova which is a country directly under threat from Russia, and visited an orphanage with local connections while there.
Minister Burke was in Chisinau to attend a global conference, and announced €2 million in funding to support the Moldovan government as they work through changes they must make as they continue their path towards EU membership.
The country shares a 1,200km border with Ukraine to the east and north and has been under threat from Russian forces and cyber attacks since the invasion last year, with the government there intercepting a failed coup.
It was granted EU candidate status last year, along with Ukraine, and next month a decision will be made by the European Commission regarding the opening of accession talks. Minister Burke said the Moldovan people and government are eager to join the EU and experience the same benefits that Ireland did 50 years ago when we officially joined.
“I really enjoyed the few days I spent in Chisinau and had the opportunity to meet the President of Moldova Maia Sandu, an incredibly impressive lady, the State Secretary for EU Integration as well as key actors in the region such as the OSCE and EU officials who briefed me on the significant progress that has been made in the country in a short space of time. Moldova has been independent from the USSR since 1991 and has a population of 2.6 million, with strong links to Romania and the EU. The EU already is its main trading partner, however it remains very poor and the economic benefit that it would experience from joining the union would be transformative for its people.
“While there, I had the chance to meet Dr Suzie O’Connell, who is an Irish doctor who moved to Moldova after college and hasn’t returned since, leading the charity Outreach Moldova which supports children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to disability. I was able to change my schedule to visit the orphanage for a couple of hours and this was a memorable experience, seeing the care being delivered to children and young adults with complex physical and intellectual disabilities.
"It transpired that my Department had funded a new kitchen in the orphanage in the 1990s. I first heard about the great work being done there from local volunteer, Ms Bríd Kenny, Mullingar who had spent time there over the years volunteering with Outreach Moldova. It was great to see how our spirit of helping others can have real impact on those most in need.
“The children were all very well looked after but it’s clear there is a shortage of specialised staff and medical equipment, with a Moldovan minister telling me that many orphanages had to spend their clinical budget on paying for the inflated gas and electricity bills last winter. I committed to raising their case on my return and seeing what further support our government could provide them with. The staff are so committed to the wellbeing of the children but numbers of staff are far too few, with the orphanage not in a position to pay workers a sufficient wage to live.
“My role as Minister for European Affairs continues to allow me to visit places I have never been and see different ways of life across the continent. The changes that have occurred in Ireland since we joined the EU in 1973 give a lot of hope to countries with a poorer economy. Many countries have been in the queue for over twenty years so it’s time for the institutions to prepare a concrete plan with timelines for countries to join, on a merit-based approach. There is strict conditionality attached to joining, including standards for the judiciary, anti-corruption, media freedom and minimum standards in health and education, and once these are met, further delays should not be incurred."