EDITORIAL: EU membership has transformed Ireland for the better

THIS week is the 50th anniversary of Ireland's accession to the then European Economic Community in January 1973.

In the five decades that have passed since then Ireland has been utterly transformed by our membership of the now European Union, with the vast majority of that transformation being for the better.

Critics of the EU would argue we have ceded some of our sovereignty through our membership of the body but it could also be argued that our sovereignty has been enhanced.

In fact it can reasonably be stated that our membership of the EU has made complete sense of our independence.

We sit around the table as equal members with all the other 26 states which form the EU.

From being one of the poorest members of the organisation we are now one of the richest and a net contributor.

EU membership had a major impact on Irish agriculture with direct payments meaning farm families could enjoy a standard of living which would otherwise be unattainable.

EU grants over many decades also transformed Ireland's infrastructure particularly the road network.

Perhaps most importantly EU membership allowed us to escape from Britain's shadow.

When we joined in 1973 well over half of our exports went to Britain. That has now decreased to just 13 per cent.

Ireland's position in the EU meant that we became a very attractive place for foreign direct investment (FDI) most notably from US multi-nationals.

Their presence here transformed our economy.

In fact the State is now an even more attractive destination for FDI due to Britain's departure from the EU in 2016.

Being in the EU also played a major role in stabilising this State during the dreadful decades of the conflict in the North.

The organisation played a major role in the peace settlement, a role which it continues to play in the wake of Brexit.

The EU was established in the aftermath of World War II as an organisation dedicated to peace between the powers that had been on opposing sides during that conflict.

As such it places major importance on the Good Friday Agreement which we witnessed in the solidarity of other EU states with Ireland post Brexit.

Of course not all our experiences of being members of the Union have been positive.

In the years after the post Celtic Tiger economic crash it can be argued that the EU placed too huge a burden of austerity on the Irish people.

It can also be argued that we sacrificed our fishing industry when joining the body back in 1973.

But overwhelmingly EU membership has been positive for Ireland.

One of the major benefits is free movement between member states. Membership of the euro currency is also another key benefit.

As we look forward to another half century of co-operation and partnership with our fellow EU member states we must remain committed to the ideals of the founders of the EU.

We must also champion the expansion of the bloc to include such countries as Ukraine, Serbia and maybe even Belarus.

Certainly there are challenges on the horizon such as perceived threats to our neutrality and our low rate of corporation tax.

But there are also limitless possibilities on the economic, social and cultural fronts.

Ireland in the EU is in a far stronger position that being on the outside looking in as Brexit has so clearly demonstrated.