Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

The founding members of the European Union in the preamble to the Treaty of Rome in 1957 stated they were determined to lay the foundations of an even closer union among the peoples of Europe, pooling their resources to preserve and strengthen peace and liberty. These ideals have stood the test of time. The European Union enlarged to 15 members when Ireland, the United Kingdom and Denmark joined in 1973, Greece in 1982, Spain and Portugal in 1987, and Austria, Sweden and Finland in 1995. The greater co-operation and communication between the member nations have prevented war, strengthened peace and liberty, and created a common market. The Single European Act in 1986, the Maastricht Treaty in 1991 and the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997 were all ratified by the people. These addenda to the Treaty of Rome aimed to create a genuine single market, closer co-operation on security, economic and social cohesion, monetary union, a social charter, environmental protection and citizens' rights regarding travel and employment.