Majority of Irish voters support membership of EU

The overwhelming majority of people on both sides of the border believe Ireland should remain part of the European Union, according to European Movement Ireland’s annual survey of attitudes to the EU in both parts of the island.

However, those polled have expressed stronger scepticism about the EU’s handling of migration, as well as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

The European Movement questioned 1,200 people on either side of the border in a representative sample in March on a range of questions about the European Union.

84% of people in the Republic believed Ireland should remain in the EU, down 4% since last year, while 76% of people in the North also believed Ireland should remain.

However, at 49%, overall voters are unhappier about the EU’s direction of travel, down from 58% last year.

Some 46% of people in the Republic and 44% of those in Northern Ireland believe the EU’s performance has been weakest in the area of migration.

On Ukraine, 47% of voters in the Republic and 49% of voters in the North expressed dissatisfaction at the EU’s handling of the war, while 64% and 72% respectively expressed dissatisfaction over the EU’s response to the Israeli-Gaza conflict.

Yet, there is growing support for Ireland to deepen its defence cooperation with the European Union.

56% of voters in the Republic, and 54% of their counterparts in the North, believe Ireland should invest more in the defence and security relationship.

57% of voters on either side of the border support more countries joining the EU, while 88% of voters in the Republic believe it will be important to vote in the European Parliament elections in June.