36% of Irish dissatisfied with Ireland's influence in EU
36% of people polled in Ireland are dissatisfied with Ireland's role and influence on EU affairs in Brussels.
That's according to the 2025 European Movement Ireland poll conducted with Amárach Research published today (Thursday, May 8).
The poll reveals a significant majority in Northern Ireland (60%) do not believe that the post-Brexit reset in EU-UK relations has improved Northern Ireland's relationship with the EU, despite the recent bilateral meetings and agreements between leaders in the bloc and the UK Government.
Respondents across the island of Ireland said they would support a united Ireland within the EU, with 67% in Northern Ireland and 62% in Ireland in favour.
However, those against a united Ireland in the EU is higher in the north (27%) compared to the south (16%), while a greater number of people in the Republic of Ireland (22%) say they don't know, in comparison to just 7% in Northern Ireland.
EMI has said that the findings come at a time when Ireland remains underrepresented in EU institutions.
Speaking to EU News Radio, CEO of EMI, Noelle O'Connell said Ireland faces a challenge when it comes to replacing senior Irish people retiring from EU institutions.
'Ireland, we always traditionally would say, as one of the smaller member states population-wise, we have tended to punch above our weight in terms of influence and holding key leadership positions across the EU,' she said.
'Whether that's in the different agencies or institutions or in the commission and the parliament positions of leadership and power.
'Now, as we approach that somewhat of a demographic cliff edge in terms of senior Irish people coming up to retirement age, the challenge is – and I think it's one that the government is very well attuned to – they have the EU jobs strategy to encourage a strong Irish pipeline in terms of EU jobs and careers.
'That is certainly something that we are going to see,' she added.
The poll also revealed that support for Ireland's membership of the EU remains strong in Northern Ireland, rising by 1% to 77% in 2025, compared to 82% in the Republic of Ireland.
Similarly in both jurisdictions, a majority in Northern Ireland (47%) approve of the direction the EU is moving in, though dissatisfaction is higher at 33%, compared to 26% in the ROI, with 19% of respondents in Northern Ireland stating they don't know (27% ROI).
A majority in Northern Ireland (52%) believe the EU is effectively upholding its values, closely aligned with the ROI (51%), though 39% in the north disagree and 9% don't know.
Respondents in Northern Ireland expressed their dissatisfaction with the EU on matters such as, economic and regulatory issues (30%), migration (22%) and militarisation concerns (19%).
Migration was found to be the EU's weakest rated area of performance according to 50% in the north and 51% in the south.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
National Lottery urges Irish players to check tickets as life-changing €259k win from popular shop remains unclaimed
THE National Lottery is urging Irish punters to check their tickets as a massive win remains unclaimed. Lotto bosses are appealing to players in 2 The National Lottery is appealing for Irish punters to come forward Credit: National Lottery 2 A life-changing €259,089 prize remains unclaimed Credit: Getty Images - Getty The unidentified winner came close to securing the full jackpot of €6,594,226 in Saturday's Although the top prize missed them, the lucky punter still won €259,089 by matching five numbers plus the bonus. The winning numbers drawn were 5, 7, 22, 23, 36, and 47, with 19 as the bonus number. With no claimant yet, the READ MORE IN MONEY And lotto bosses have disclosed the purchase location of the winning ticket to help find the winner. The Quick Pick ticket was bought on Thursday, June 5 at the Daybreak store on Main Street in Kenmare, Co Kerry. Anyone who bought a ticket here or passed through the area is encouraged to double-check their numbers. Winners are advised to contact the National Lottery claims team at MOST READ IN MONEY Alternatively, prize claims can be submitted via email to We run 'world's luckiest shop' & have sold 3 winning lotto tickets in 6 months "If you bought your ticket in Kenmare, now's the time to double-check, you could be Ireland's newest big winner.' And last week, a lucky syndicate that won a ANOTHER WIN The 'Jacks of All Trades' group from Co The 11 members have a varied history, having built kitchens, fixed leaking pipes and wired The group, made up of Their system appears to have worked, after always relying on one group chat and one The tickets were always made up of three lines with the plus, and everyone would keep an eye on each of them. They collected their huge win today at The winning ticket was sold in Applegreen on Newfoundwell Road, in Greenbatter, Drogheda, Co Louth. I-SDL-14299 was the winning raffle number that got the lads their huge
Irish Times
26 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Impact of AI on Ireland's energy demands ‘not going to be as steep' as feared
The impact of the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) on Ireland's energy demands is 'not going to be as steep as many people believe', Research Ireland has told an Oireachtas committee. Research Ireland, which was established last year by an amalgamation of Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council, was before the newly formed Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence on Tuesday. The International Energy Agency expects data centres to consume close to a third of total electricity in Ireland by 2026. They used about 22 per cent of all metered electricity here in 2024, according to Central Statistics Office data. The current boom in AI is rapidly fuelling increased need for data centre capacity, as AI relies on vast consumption of data, and, by extension, energy. A ChatGPT query is said to consume 10 times more electricity than a Google search. READ MORE [ Data centres accounted for more than fifth of Ireland's electricity usage last year Opens in new window ] Asked about the need for more data centres and the impact of this on resources, Ciarán Seoighe, deputy chief executive of Research Ireland, said a price 'will have to be paid', but that evidence is emerging it may not be 'as steep' as current projections suggest. 'The projections are based on a straight line increase or even a curve up increase in the energy demands, but already we are seeing in the research area examples where that is not only deflected down, but hopefully even pivoted down,' he said. 'I'm not going to say this is a problem that is going to disappear, but I expect it to be less demanding than what the current projections would be. It is still a huge consumption of resources, not just of electricity. 'It's not going to go away. We are going to have to pay for this in some sense, but I don't think the penalty is going to be as steep as many people believe.' Separately, Mr Seoighe said he had concerns over the 'dominance of Big Tech' and the resources multinational companies have to invest in AI, which could leave state actors playing catch-up. 'There was talk at one point of a CERN [the European Organisation for Nuclear Research] for AI, because, as a small state, we are not at that level where we can invest the many, many millions required to be able to do this level of research,' he said. 'But, if at a European level, we had a large scale centralised investment, of which we could be a part, then we have the scale and the power to do real research in the area, and stay ahead of the curve.' Research Ireland's Susan Leavy, who is also an assistant professor with the School of Information and Communication Studies at UCD, said the issue that 'keeps me awake at night' is the use of AI by 'pernicious actors' to influence political viewpoints and elections. 'You have that possibility for pernicious actors to interfere [and] generate loads of AI content, and it could be super personalised to sway people's beliefs, voting patterns, polarise people, and that undermines democracy,' she said. 'The AI-generated content on social media hasn't yet been shown to have had an effect in elections. However, what we do know is the political polarisation in society coincides with the proliferation of the recommender algorithms.'
The Irish Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Stunning private islands off UK coast offering ‘slice of ancient history' could be yours for just £108,000
A PICTURESQUE private island off the coast of the UK is available to buy - and it's just £108,000. The stunning Irish Islands of Dunnyneill, located on Strangford Lough, are home to range of gorgeous flora and fauna. Advertisement 6 Dunnyneil Island is located 2.5km from the Irish coast Credit: Tim Martin estate agents 6 It is believed to have been a seventh century trading post Credit: Tim Martin estate agents 6 The interconnected islands are available to buy for just £108,000 Credit: Tim Martin estate agents Surrounded by blue waters and coated in lush greenery, the islands are located just 2.5 kilometres off the coast of Killyleagh, Ireland. Comprised of two islands, it was once a former seventh century trading emporium frequented by merchants. Owning the islands gives you the chance to buy a The main island is described as being "formed from a small drumlin with a boulder clay core." Advertisement Read more Travel It sits around 16 metres above sea level and is roughly D-shaped. The second, smaller island, has a steep cliff facing towards the mouth of the Lough. At low tide the Advertising the islands, estate agent Advertisement Most read in News Travel The island's name uses the word 'Dun' which refers to a fort, while the rest of its name alludes to hostages - although thankfully the historic name is no longer accurate. Those interested in the island can purchase them for £108,000 with no stamp duty - unless you are purchasing as a buy to let, or as an additional property. Emily Barker opens up on move to Ireland Photos of the island clearly show the gorgeous greenery surrounded by clear blue waters, with an easy to navigate path encircling the islands. It's a Advertisement The beaches provide easy access to the serene water below - making it the perfect spot for In one of the photos of the island, visitors can be seen pushing a canoe into the water. Another shows visitors taking a dip in the shallow waters as they make the most of the island paradise. 6 During low tide the islands are connected by a causeway Credit: Tim Martin estate agents Advertisement 6 Its beaches offer easy access for those looking to enjoy the water Credit: Tim Martin estate agents 6 It is home to a unique range of flora and fauna Credit: Tim Martin estate agents One of the main selling points for the island is its gorgeous views - with one photo showing the breath-taking sunsets owners could expect from the island. Sailors from Advertisement Those interested in purchasing the island can reach out to Tim Martin's Comber office via email or phone. Over the years, the island's topography and history have been the The discovery of imported ceramics, as well as evidence of either glass or metalworking on the island, suggests the site was particularly important during the early medieval period.
