MEP Maria Walsh: Standing up for farmers, women and our communities as Ireland prepares to lead Europe

A Christmas message from MEP Maria Walsh:

As we approach 2026 - and with the prospect of Ireland holding the Presidency of the European Union ahead - I want to take a moment to share my work from the past year, and to underline why your voice and involvement matter now more than ever.

I am well into my second term as your MEP and have been working hard to support farmers, women and mental health in the European Parliament and at home.

A fair future for Irish farmers

Agriculture remains at the heart of Ireland’s rural economy.

As a full member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, and now Vice-President of the newly established European People’s Party (EPP) Farmers’ Group, I have been using every opportunity to stand up for Irish food and feed producers.

This year, the Committee passed many proposals I put forward - including increasing the budget for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in line with inflation, strengthening crisis -reserve funds, boosting investments for animal-disease control, and supporting a generational renewal strategy for the next wave of farmers. #

These issues reflect the priorities and concerns of Irish farmers, as well as that of the EPP Group.

The uncertainties ahead, including pressure on CAP funding amid competing EU demands, make this fight all the more urgent for our rural communities.

Empowering and protecting women

As a full member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), I remain committed to advancing women’s rights across Europe - and especially in rural Ireland, where the opportunities are too often limited.

I have worked to protect women from new online and digital threats.

I have raised legal concerns around the rise of “deepfakes”; technologies that disproportionately target and harm women.

I have called for urgent updates to national and EU legislation to close the gap, and brought the issue to the attention of young people and parents across Ireland.

I am currently the lead negotiator for the EPP Group on a report on gender inequalities in health.

My work on women’s healthcare focuses on improving access to cardiovascular screening and care, as well as reproductive healthcare services.

I am also working to remove barriers and stigma around menopause.

Mental health; from farms to families

Mental health has long been overlooked at European level.

That is why I helped establish the European Parliament’s first ever Intergroup for Mental Health in 2024, and why I
continue to lobby for a full EU Mental Health Strategy.

For rural communities, mental health is not a side issue - it is central.

Farming can be isolating, stressful, and unpredictable.

That is why my amendments to the new CAP proposals include funding for mental-health supports, crisis prevention in agriculture, and vulnerable-farmer support.

This is a real, practical step toward safeguarding the wellbeing of those who feed and sustain our country.

Beyond agriculture, I continue to fight for broader mental-health support across the EU, in particular for our young people.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people aged between 10 and 19 years, in the European Union.

Our young people need easy access to mental-health care and the EU must play a leading role in securing this for all.

Let’s make Ireland’s EU Presidency count Ireland is set to take on the Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2026, which means that our country will have a huge opportunity to shape the future of Europe.

Issues like agriculture, rural development, women’s rights, mental health, and digital safety will be high on the EU agenda.

But this won’t happen by accident.

The quality of Ireland’s presidency depends on engagement from citizens.

As your MEP, I will carry your voice into those EU negotiations, but I also ask you to get involved.

Reach out. Make contact with your local representatives. Engage with civil society. Take part in public consultations.

The EPP Group, which I am proud to represent, stands committed to a strong, sustainable future for agriculture, equality for women, and a Europe that cares for its citizens’ wellbeing.

I will be pushing them, and Europe, every step of the way.

As we look toward 2026, I am more determined than ever to work for rural Ireland, for women, for mental health, and for a Europe in which we all belong.

I hope you will join me.