Re: Request for Comment on Statements Made at the Tripartite Social Summit, 14 October 2026.
Dear President Costa,
My name is Sean Treacy – Irish Freelance Journalist – OnlineNews.ie
I am writing to request a comment from you regarding statements made at the Tripartite Social Summit on 14 October 2026 and a subsequent article published on my website.
You stated:
“Competitiveness is not an end in itself. Our ultimate goal is to improve the lives and well-being of European citizens, by creating quality jobs, building strong and successful European companies, and ensuring lasting prosperity and resilience.”
Ursula von der Leyen stated:
“Europe’s competitiveness goes hand in hand with social fairness. It means good jobs, decent livelihoods and thriving businesses.”
Micheál Martin stated:
“Europe is at its strongest when it is united and pulling in the same direction on the important issues. At today’s meeting we discussed how we can work together to build a more competitive Europe, with quality jobs and high skills, underpinned by a budget that can support our ambition for what we want to achieve together.”
On the very same day, while these statements are being made about competitiveness, social fairness, quality jobs and decent livelihoods, approximately 300,000 public sector workers from 19 different unions in Ireland, are out picketing over cost-of-living demands. Just a few months earlier, the entire country came to a standstill during fuel protests. Prices are skyrocketing. I have written an article about this on my website:
Anyone who heard Micheál Martin’s statement could hardly disagree that he appears completely disconnected from what is actually happening in Ireland.
The Reality Facing Ordinary Irish People
Ireland is facing a serious crisis. Young Irish people are emigrating by the thousands because they cannot afford homes or find decent work, while public services, schools and communities struggle with rapid population growth. Many feel that the Government prioritises EU objectives and newcomers over the needs of its own citizens. In my view, Micheál Martin and successive EU-driven policies have caused more damage to Ireland’s culture, sovereignty and national identity in five years than centuries of English oppression.
Ordinary working people feel neglected and increasingly like second-class citizens in their own country, while immigration and accommodation policies place growing demands on taxpayers and public services. Across towns and cities, demographic changes are increasingly visible in local businesses and communities. Many people question whether the scale and pace of immigration are sustainable and whether the Government has any intention of addressing their concerns. Vape shops, Phone shops, Turkish Barbers, Chip Shops and so on, not one Irish person employed in any of them. Other retail shops as well with little of no Irish staff and it is getting progressively worse.
Was that what, Ursula von der Leyen, meant when she said:
“Europe’s competitiveness goes hand in hand with social fairness. It means good jobs, decent livelihoods and thriving businesses.” For whom, I ask you, Ursula?
Ireland is experiencing profound cultural and demographic change, leaving some people feeling like strangers in their own communities. Our schools are under pressure, and parents are raising concerns about changing classroom demographics and whether future generations will retain a strong connection to Irish heritage and traditions. Reports on tiktok of an Irish child being the only Irish-born pupils in their classes of thirty, raise legitimate questions about integration, educational capacity and the long-term direction of our society. Another occurrence reported, twenty two children in a school, only three Irish children, mother has to take child out to home school. This is happening all over Ireland now. CSO figures reportedly indicate that a further 21,000 children entered Ireland in 2025; these figures and their implications for public services deserve proper examination.
Why were these concerns absent from Micheál Martin’s, Ursula von der Leyen, speech and yours? The disconnect between political rhetoric and the lived experiences of ordinary Irish people is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. My own family fought for Ireland’s freedom. Was that sacrifice made so that those in power could now disregard the people and national interests they were elected to protect?
European Leadership, Sovereignty and Democracy
Do you believe European leaders are beyond challenge or cannot be removed through democratic means? While you speak of a Single Market that benefits workers and businesses, many people living in Ireland, see cultural erosion, pressure on public services, concerns about safety and growing insecurity.
I was personally traumatised by an unprovoked attack in my hometown involving four immigrants. Through conversations at public meetings and cost-of-living and fuel protests in Moate, I have also encountered widespread frustration about immigration, billions being squandered, economic pressures and the feeling that ordinary people are no longer being heard.
I have been approached numerous times to write about EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) agenda in Irish workplaces and educational institutions in Ireland. Concerns arise when employees fear that disagreeing with these policies could jeopardise their careers, raising serious questions about freedom of speech, thought and professional reprisals. Are foreign corporations and EU institutions negatively influencing Irish society in ways that deserve greater scrutiny? How can an agenda promoting inclusion be justified if it creates fear or silences dissent? Is this an intentional assault on Irish people’s freedoms, with legitimate concerns being concealed behind public claims of equality and inclusion?
European nations must retain the democratic right to protect their cultures, identities and sovereignty. Policies that undermine national institutions, social cohesion and public confidence risk damaging economic stability, employment and investment. Across Europe, dissatisfaction with the EU appears to be growing, alongside discussions about alternative alliances involving the UK, US and other European countries. European leaders must wake up before it’s too late.
Are these developments the unintended consequences of political decisions, or part of a wider agenda? Irish people deserve an honest answer before public trust deteriorates further. If the EU project continues to undermine national sovereignty and the democratic will of its people, Ireland must be willing to reconsider its position.
We are Irish people living on an island, with our own history, culture and national identity. We are not obliged to surrender that identity to an EU political project. There is growing concern Micheál Martin and the Irish Government have become more committed to the European establishment than to the people and country he represents. No referendum on the Triple Lock, which is unbelievable.
Finally, why have 250,000 Irish passports reportedly been issued, and what circumstances and eligibility criteria account for this figure? Irish citizenship and passports carry profound national significance and must not be treated as political instruments. Many Irish people view these developments as a serious disregard for their identity, rights and national heritage, and as further evidence that EU interests are being prioritised over the interests of Ireland’s own people. The level of public frustration has reached the point where some are now calling for a separate passport specifically for native Irish people.
Ireland must be governed in the interests of its people, its future generations and its sovereignty not as an administrative outpost for outside interests or a stepping stone for politicians seeking influential EU positions. In my opinion, weak politicians, lacking the courage to stand firm in their leadership, allow minority interests to take precedence over the will of the majority, undermining the principles of democracy and sacrificing the interests, rights, and future of the greater population for political convenience.
I would welcome a direct response to these questions and to the concerns raised in this letter. I will publish this on my website with your reply when that arrives: Writing to politicians and NGO’s in Ireland is a pure waste of time they just hide in the office for the most part and don’t reply to letters or emails.
This is why I wrote specifically to you, President Costa.
But I hope you show better example and response.
Yours sincerely,
Sean Treacy
Freelance Journalist
OnlineNews.ie
22nd 10 2026
