Irish people in favour of EU membership but support falls to lowest level in over a decade
Irish people are overwhelmingly in favour of EU membership but support has dropped to its lowest level since 2013, according to a new poll.
The annual European Movement Ireland Poll, conducted with Amárach Research, has found while 82% of people support Ireland's membership of the EU, some 43% do not believe their views are represented at EU level.
The poll also found 34% of Irish people feel the EU is not upholding its core values, and 26% are dissatisfied with its direction.
They attribute their dissatisfaction to issues such as the migration response (35%), EU regulation (24%), and militarisation of the EU (24%), with the EU perceived as weakest on the issue of migration in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Although some expressed dissatisfaction with EU militarisation (24%), 50% in the Republic believe Ireland should be part of increased EU defence and security cooperation, with 32% opposing it and 18% unsure.
Younger people, between 18-24, expressed most uncertainty (30%), while there was a notable difference in support for greater security cooperation between women (38%) and men (62%).
Meanwhile, 36% are dissatisfied with Ireland's role and influence in Brussels.
Noelle O'Connell, chief executive of European Movement Ireland, said the EU must listen to the voices of its citizens.
'It is encouraging to see strong support for EU membership in Ireland, albeit a decline on recent years. In our 12th year of polling, it is clear that we cannot be complacent, with some people expressing dissatisfaction with the EU's current trajectory and Irish influence at EU level.
At a pivotal time in European politics, with intensifying efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the ongoing issues relating to EU-US trade, which could have serious implications for Ireland, and the increasing influence of populism, among other issues, it is important citizens feel their views are heard across all levels of the EU.'
The cost of living (56%) was cited as the most pressing issue for people in the Republic, particularly for younger people, with housing (41%) also featuring strongly among respondents' top five worries, along with migration (53%).
However, EU-US relations (44%) the EU's response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict (43%), and to the Israel-Palestine conflict (41%) were also prominent concerns.
Meanwhile, respondents in Northern Ireland cited the Israel-Palestine conflict as their top concern at EU level (52%).
Despite the range of concerns highlighted in the poll, 47% of respondents in Ireland are satisfied with the EU's direction.
Furthermore, although there is much uncertainty regarding trade into the future, respondents in both jurisdictions rated the bloc's performance strongly, 40% in Ireland and even higher in Northern Ireland at 49%.
The EU also fared well in its management of the European economy in Ireland (21%).
In the North, some 60% believe changes in the EU-UK relationship following Brexit have not improved Northern Ireland's relationship with the EU.
There has been a major decline in trust in institutions with a majority in Ireland (40%) and Northern Ireland (39%) stating they do not trust governing institutions, with only 30% in the Republic expressing trust in the EU and the Irish Government.
Interestingly, in Ireland, almost half (49%) of 18-24 year olds trust the EU the most, and in Northern Ireland, the EU is the most trusted institution (29%).
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