Ireland marks its 50th anniversary of EU membership today.
Ireland's treaty of accession was signed in Brussels on this day in 1972 by Taoiseach Jack Lynch and Minister for Foreign Affairs Patrick Hillery.
The Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne believes our membership has never been more important:
"As a result of Brexit and as a result of the Covid pandemic, our place in Europe is more important than ever. We've seen a really, really successful vaccine rollout that was enabled because of a joint purchasing decision at European level. We've seen the solidarity that European countries have given us at throughout the Brexit process as well. And I firmly believe, as we look to the future of a European Union membership, that there will be greater opportunities to work together for the greater good of citizens. And that's what the European Union is all about."
