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Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Advertising industry optimistic despite ‘cautious' outlook for client spend
Irish advertising, marketing and communications agencies expect client spending to stagnate or even shrink this year amid heightened economic uncertainty, despite reporting stable or growing revenues in the early part of the year. An Amárach Research survey of the industry, commissioned by the Institute of Advertising Practitioners Ireland (Iapi), points to an ambivalent mood among agencies. While two-thirds of the 36 agency chief executives surveyed reported that their clients have increased or at least maintained spending levels so far this year, a large 81 per cent majority expect spending across the wider industry to remain flat or even fall for the full year. This is a 'clear sign of caution', Iapi, the advertising and marketing industry trade body, said in its first Pathfinder Pulse Survey report on Thursday. READ MORE The survey results suggest a degree of disconnect between optimism at the agency level and more cautious sentiment across the wider industry, the trade body said. Marketing and advertising budgets are often the first casualties during times of economic stress, meaning confidence levels within the industry are sometimes seen as a bellwether for the wider economy. Siobhán Masterson, chief executive of Iapi, said the survey results are an 'early barometer' for business activity. 'Agency workloads and budgets respond quickly to economic shifts,' she said. 'Pathfinder captures how confidence and caution are evolving across the economy. With Irish exports facing heightened global pressure, including €17.1 billion in exports now facing potential elevated US tariffs, these findings provide real-time evidence of the impact on the services sector.' Economic uncertainty and market conditions were the top concerns for agencies across the different sectors in the Pathfinder survey, with 36 per cent citing the macro environment as the biggest challenge this year. Client procurement and budgets were second, with talent recruitment and retention also key concerns for agencies in 2025. Agencies view expanding their existing services as the biggest potential driver of growth this year, as well as the adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. The Pathfinder report will be published on a quarterly basis as 'a high-frequency indicator of business confidence', Iapi said. The publication of the inaugural report coincides with Iapi's annual leaders' summit in Dublin on Thursday. Speakers, including An Post chief executive David McRedmond and Element Films co-founder Andrew Lowe, will address the conference along with executives from Irish Distillers and Musgraves among others.
The Journal
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Ireland's support for EU membership remains strong, but poll reveals it's dropped to lowest level
SUPPORT FOR IRELAND to remain in the European Union remains strong, but a new poll reveals support among the public is at an 11-year low. The European Movement Ireland's EU 2025 poll with Amárach Research asked 1,200 people in the Republic of Ireland if Ireland should remain a member of the EU. The poll reveals that 82% agree that Ireland should remain a member of the EU, while 9% said no. A total of 8% said they did not know. The European Movement/ Amárach Research While the 82% figure is strong, it is more than a ten-point drop in the response given to the same question more than five years ago. In 2019, answering the same question, 93% of respondents said Ireland should remain a member of the EU. The following year, in the midst of the pandemic, support plummeted from that 2019 high, with 84% that year saying Ireland should remain in the EU. Since 2020, the figure has fluctuated, but has never recovered back into the high ninety percentile. The European Movement The European Movement The Amárach Research was commissioned by European Movement Ireland to undertake research on attitudes to the EU across the island of Ireland. This research poll is based around a nationally representative sample of 1,200 for each jurisdiction of the Republic and Northern Ireland. Respondents in Northern Ireland also answered the question; their responses showed a five-point difference with people in the Republic, with 77% stating that Ireland should remain within in the EU. The poll asks a number of other key questions, such as whether the EU moving in the right direction, with just 47% of respondents in the Republic saying that it is. Advertisement Migration Of the 26% that stated the EU is not moving in the right direction, the main reason for answering this way was put down to 'immigration control issues', at 35%. The other issues cited were economic and regulatory issues and militarisation concerns. The European Movement/ Amárach Research When it comes to the issue of defence, the poll asked: 'Do you think Ireland should be part of increased EU defence and security cooperation?' Of those polled, 50% responded yes, while 32% said no and a total of 18% said they did not know. Support for increased EU defence co-operation was highest among those aged over 55 and lowest among those aged between 25 and 24. Some 36% of respondents said they are not satisfied with Ireland's current role and influence in the EU, while 50% said they are. Cost-of-living When asked which issues people are most concerned about at EU level, the results showed that the cost of living topped the poll, with 56% giving it as their top issue. Migration followed, with 53% stating that this most concerned them at EU level, followed by EU-US relations at 44%. Commenting on the findings of European Movement Ireland's EU 2025 poll, Noelle O'Connell, CEO of the European Movement Ireland, said it was encouraging to see strong support for EU membership in Ireland, despite the decline on recent years. 'In our twelfth 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,' she said. '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.' Need more clarity and context on how migration is being discussed in Ireland? Check out our new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Irish support for EU membership falls to lowest level in a decade
Support for Ireland remaining a member of the European Union remains high but has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, according to a survey. Some 82 per cent of people questioned as part of an annual poll, commissioned by civil society organisation European Movement Ireland, said the Republic should remain in the EU. This is the lowest level of support recorded since the polling series began in 2013. Fewer than half of the respondents said they felt the EU was heading in the right direction. The survey, conducted by Amárach Research and published on Thursday, involved a representative sample of 1,200 people. It was carried out via email between March 26th and 28th. READ MORE Pro-EU sentiment in Ireland hit a high point in 2019 at the height of the post-Brexit negotiations, when 93 per cent of people backed continued membership. This was largely attributed to how the European political system rowed in behind the State while the terms of the UK's exit from the union were thrashed out. There has been a small but steady decline in support since, but the Irish public still consistently ranks among the most supportive of EU membership. A separate EU-wide survey carried out late last year found Irish people were the most optimistic about the future of the 27-state union. Immigration control was cited in the latest poll as the single biggest reason why people felt the EU was going in the wrong direction. Anti-immigration campaigners frequently target recent EU asylum policy reforms in online criticism. The Migration and Asylum Pact, due to come into effect next year, will mean faster decisions on asylum applications, but has been opposed by far-right parties as not going far enough on the issue. Half of those surveyed want Ireland to be more involved in defence co-operation at EU level, while about one-third feel the opposite. Some 56 per cent of respondents said they were in favour of more countries joining the union. Noelle O Connell, head of European Movement Ireland, said the level of support for the EU in this State was still 'incredibly high'. The research showed Irish people valued being part of the large economic bloc, particularly given the uncertainty caused by recent moves regarding tariffs by US president Donald Trump, she said. Ms O Connell said Ireland needed to be mindful of repaying the solidarity it received during the Brexit crisis.
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
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%). Read More Tánaiste calls for EU unity on US tariffs and conflicts at Global Ireland Summit
