Irish support for remaining in EU reaches all time high

riffmongous

Not all that surprising really, but the sheer consensus is pretty amazing

A majority of 92% of Irish people think the country should remain in the European Union.

That is according to a new EM Ireland/Red C poll, which also found people split over whether Brexit makes a united Ireland more likely.

The majority of Irish people believe Brexit is a mistake - but 44% agree and 44% disagree that it makes a united Ireland more likely, with 12% saying they don't know.

...

Only 11% of respondents think that Ireland should leave the EU, given the UK have voted to leave.

This shows a steep decline from 2013, when support for Ireland leaving the EU in the event of Brexit was at 30%.

On the issue of defence and neutrality, 59% agree Ireland should be part of increased EU defence and security cooperation.

This shows an increase of 2% since April 2017, before Ireland signed up to PESCO.

The poll was conducted on the 15th to the 21st of March among a representative sample of 1,000 people aged 18 and over.

link a dink

verycool

That'll teach the leaverphiles! (Term robbed from Richard Herring, because "brexiteers" makes them sound like heroes fighting a noble cause. Eejits.)

Thank God for some common sense remaining.

kunst nugget

You'd swear from some posters on here that everyone and their mother was gagging for Ireland to leave the EU.

The_Kew_Tour

Good and hardly surprising

Cee-Jay-Cee

A majority of 92% of Irish people think the country should remain in the European Union.



Only 11% of respondents think that Ireland should leave the EU, given the UK have voted to leave.

So that's 103% of all those polled. Yep makes perfect sense.

murpho999

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

So that's 103% of all those polled. Yep makes perfect sense.

Article is inaccurate.

11% was the disagree figure in 2017, in 2018 it's 7%.

I thought it would be much higher, or to put it another way: I'm surprised that 11% of the population of the 26 Counties is British Unionist.

In terms of protecting Irish sovereignty and the idea of Ireland as a separate distinct entity with its own traditions and history, being in the EU has long been the only game in town.

kunst nugget

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I thought it would be much higher, or to put it another way: I'm surprised that 11% of the population of the 26 Counties is British Unionist.

Oh, ffs...

Foxhound38

Good - you'd have to be a complete lunatic to want an Irexit.

seamus

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

So that's 103% of all those polled. Yep makes perfect sense.

I think the article is badly worded.

From what I can gather, 92% of those polled would rather that Ireland remained in the EU, 7% would prefer not to, and 1% don't know.

However, given that the UK is already leaving, 11% think we should follow them.

So there's an overlap of 4% of people who would prefer that Ireland stayed, but think that we would be better off leaving because the UK has done it.

I expect that 4% is broadly made up of people whose livelihoods will be badly affected by Brexit.

Beta Ray Bill

In other news.....

8% of the population are thick as bricks!

Shenshen

grahambo wrote: »

In other news.....

8% of the population are thick as bricks!

That number IS surprisingly low...

ohnonotgmail

Deleted User wrote: »

I thought it would be much higher, or to put it another way: I'm surprised that 11% of the population of the 26 Counties is British Unionist.

In terms of protecting Irish sovereignty and the idea of Ireland as a separate distinct entity with its own traditions and history, being in the EU has long been the only game in town.

how does wanting to leave the EU make one a british unionist?

Beta Ray Bill

Shenshen wrote: »

That number IS surprisingly low...

Not really
Just about 1 in 10 if you rounded it up. (It's high enough)

So 1 out of every 10 people you know is a basically a super-thick!

I have a few mates who think we should explore the possibility of leaving the EU.
I keep telling them to get up the f**king yard... idiots.

ohnonotgmail

grahambo wrote: »

Not really
Just about 1 in 10 if you rounded it up. (It's high enough)

So 1 out of every 10 people you know is a basically a super-thick!

I have a few mates who think we should explore the possibility of leaving the EU.
I keep telling them to get up the f**king yard... idiots.

in fairness i would be surprised if it was only 1 in 10.

grahambo

grahambo wrote: »

In other news.....

8% of the population are thick as bricks!

Remember that half the population is of below average intelligence

VinLieger

Who knew that it would take the english setting their hair on fire and running around into walls to make people realise the benefits of the EU?

ohnonotgmail

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

how does wanting to leave the EU make one a british unionist?

This should be self-evident; it's a choice between a forward-looking eurocentric Ireland or the tired old anglocentric Ireland that was Ireland's story for centuries before EU membership - as recently as 1979 when we were "independent" our entire currency was tied to the British one. England sneezes; Ireland catches a cold.

Leaving the EU is a clear statement of a wish to align with the British state and its interests - although the people promoting Irexit would have enough wit not to put it that bluntly. It's not like Ireland is suddenly going to become a genuinely independent republic if it left the EU. The whole force of British jingoism would be dedicated to putting Paddy in his place in their "British Isles".

In 2018 our EU membership is the bulwark against that whole anglocentric world being imposed upon us again.

ohnonotgmail

Deleted User wrote: »

This should be self-evident; it's a choice between a forward-looking eurocentric Ireland or the tired old anglocentric Ireland that was Ireland's story for centuries before EU membership - as recently as 1979 when we were "independent" our entire currency was tied to the British one. England sneezes; Ireland catches a cold.

Leaving the EU is a clear statement of a wish to align with the British state and its interests - although the people promoting Irexit would have enough wit not to put it that bluntly. It's not like Ireland is suddenly going to become a genuinely independent republic if it left the EU. The whole force of British jingoism would be dedicated to putting Paddy in his place in their "British Isles".

In 2018 our EU membership is the bulwark against that whole anglocentric world being imposed upon us again.

I think you are using a different definition of unionist to everybody else.

_Kaiser_

Deleted User wrote: »

This should be self-evident; it's a choice between a forward-looking eurocentric Ireland or the tired old anglocentric Ireland that was Ireland's story for centuries before EU membership - as recently as 1979 when we were "independent" our entire currency was tied to the British one. England sneezes; Ireland catches a cold.

Leaving the EU is a clear statement of a wish to align with the British state and its interests - although the people promoting Irexit would have enough wit not to put it that bluntly. It's not like Ireland is suddenly going to become a genuinely independent republic if it left the EU. The whole force of British jingoism would be dedicated to putting Paddy in his place in their "British Isles".

In 2018 our EU membership is the bulwark against that whole anglocentric world being imposed upon us again.

Some posters REALLY need to get over the whole "800 years" stuff, and do something about that chip...


Anyway......... No surprise that Ireland is overwhelmingly pro-EU now that the "good times" are back and the scaremongering over Brexit (I think that the UK will be fine myself once things settle down).

What's surprising is the size of support, but then how relevant is the EU in most people's lives here day to day? I'd say not very, so it's easy to express support for something which on the whole sounds good but let's see if it's still so positive if closer integration, tax harmonisation and a Federal Europe comes to pass... in other words, I think the support is so high because it doesn't really impact most people either way at the moment (although how quickly we've forgotten the EU dictatorial tactics during the financial or "refugee" crisis).

Me I'm all for a closer trade bloc like the EEC used to be... but this political union idea where things are decided by and for the benefit of Germany and France, with knock-on effects for the smaller nations being little concern either way is not something to cheer about. We think the Dail is unaccountable... How many people even know who their EU representative is? How effective are they in Brussels? How much influence do people imagine Ireland actually has?

This sounds like a very high-level result in the context of Brexit.. nothing more.

Odhinn

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Some posters REALLY need to get over the whole "800 years" stuff, and do something about that chip...

......

A mere silent picture of Rees-Mogg has been known to raise Fenian levels by double figures.

riffmongous

Odhinn wrote: »

A mere silent picture of Rees-Mogg has been known to raise Fenian levels by double figures.

Shudder

_Kaiser_

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Me I'm all for a closer trade bloc like the EEC used to be... but this political union idea where things are decided by and for the benefit of Germany and France, with knock-on effects for the smaller nations being little concern either way is not something to cheer about. We think the Dail is unaccountable... How many people even know who their EU representative is? How effective are they in Brussels? How much influence do people imagine Ireland actually has?

I'd be the same. An economic Union was what Ireland originally signed up for and it made sense. This newer EU federal system makes me rather uncomfortable, and not the direction I feel Europe should be heading towards. Ireland will be controlled by other countries with more economic/political influence. Not my idea of Irish sovereignty.

I think most people will become more uncomfortable as the EU pushes it's own ideas on culture, migration, etc on its member states. TBF this was a survey of 1000 people, not a very large segment of the population.

Hector Bellend

riffmongous wrote: »

Not all that surprising really, but the sheer consensus is pretty amazing




link a dink

11% think we should leave

92% think we should remain.

103% of an aul brexit there

_Brian

I’ve only rarely come across someone who genuinely seemed to think we should leave the EU.
Without exception they had not educated themselves on just how much of a backwater stagnant country Ireland was pre joining the EEC or they just pure racist and want to keep Johnny Foreigner out

riffmongous

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd be the same. An economic Union was what Ireland originally signed up for and it made sense. This newer EU federal system makes me rather uncomfortable, and not the direction I feel Europe should be heading towards. Ireland will be controlled by other countries with more economic/political influence. Not my idea of Irish sovereignty.

I think most people will become more uncomfortable as the EU pushes it's own ideas on culture, migration, etc on its member states. TBF this was a survey of 1000 people, not a very large segment of the population.

1000 is a standard sample size (actually better than a lot of other surveys would use), sample size and population size are not linked

riffmongous

Hector Bellend wrote: »

11% think we should leave given that the UK has voted to leave

92% think we should remain.

103% of an aul brexit there

They are actually separate questions

http://www.europeanmovement.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/EM-RED-C-Infographic-2018-PAGES_correct-web.pdf

badtoro

Quit the bull and let's get to the important question that comes from this article.



Has anyone told Nigel Farage?

ancapailldorcha

badtoro wrote: »

Quit the bull and let's get to the important question that comes from this article.



Has anyone told Nigel Farage?

I suspect that he is too busy fantasizing about his new blue passport which is really important for some reason.

Capt'n Midnight

grahambo wrote: »

Not really
Just about 1 in 10 if you rounded it up. (It's high enough)

So 1 out of every 10 people you know is a basically a super-thick!

I have a few mates who think we should explore the possibility of leaving the EU.
I keep telling them to get up the f**king yard... idiots.

It's seven percent which is one in fourteen.

and many of them are knee-jerk reaction , because some people are always against ANYTHING for the sake of it


also SF has been against the EU since before we joined in 1973 so even that 7% is below their die-hard support numbers , even if you ignore people who have other reasons , like the the UK citizens living here

JohnMc1

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

So that's 103% of all those polled. Yep makes perfect sense.

I was just about to post that two. They're clearly fudging the numbers. It doesn't matter anyway since I guarantee they only did that poll in Dublin.

That poll and article is:

kunst nugget

JohnMc1 wrote: »

I was just about to post that two. They're clearly fudging the numbers. It doesn't matter anyway since I guarantee they only did that poll in Dublin.

They were talking about it in the Hard Shoulder today and it was a nationwide poll - they were able to break it down by region and age group.

Grayson

seamus wrote: »

I expect that 4% is broadly made up of people whose livelihoods will be badly affected by Brexit.

Or four in a hundred could change their minds that quickly.

thebull85

JohnMc1 wrote: »

I was just about to post that two. They're clearly fudging the numbers. It doesn't matter anyway since I guarantee they only did that poll in Dublin.

That poll and article is:

Grafton street poll.

Experience_day

If you remove the English army tomorrow and hoist the green flag over Dublin Castle, unless you set about the organization of the Socialist Republic your efforts would be in vain. England would still rule you. She would rule you through her capitalists, through her landlords, through her financiers, through the whole array of commercial and individualist institutions she has planted in this country and watered with the tears of our mothers and the blood of our martyrs.

I would be wary of ceding too much power from our nation, but then again quality of life now is worth any problems for the future :pac:

SeanW

Deleted User wrote: »

I thought it would be much higher, or to put it another way: I'm surprised that 11% of the population of the 26 Counties is British Unionist.

In terms of protecting Irish sovereignty and the idea of Ireland as a separate distinct entity with its own traditions and history, being in the EU has long been the only game in town.

That's a really bizarre claim considering that the EU appears to be hell bent on eliminating nation states, nation state identities and building a super-state. As to Ireland being a "distinct entity with its own traditions and history" perhaps you failed to note that EU proponent and Irish elite Peter Sutherland recommended that precisely this be destroyed by the EU.

As quoted by the BBC:

He told the committee: "The United States, or Australia and New Zealand, are migrant societies and therefore they accommodate more readily those from other backgrounds than we do ourselves, who still nurse a sense of our homogeneity and difference from others.

"And that's precisely what the European Union, in my view, should be doing its best to undermine."

riffmongous

JohnMc1 wrote: »

I was just about to post that two. They're clearly fudging the numbers. It doesn't matter anyway since I guarantee they only did that poll in Dublin.

That poll and article is:

It's 2 different questions..

Richard Hillman

The question is "Should Ireland remain in the EU?". Even as anti EU as I am, I don't think Ireland should shoot away and leave the EU on our own. It would be suicidal.

Do I think the EU should be disbanded and replaced with a free trade and movement treaty? Yes please.

King of Kings

people are idiots.
the economy is doing well now and projected to improve...go EU!! more jeeps and decking!!

people have short memories as to when the EU fcuked over many citizens with their austerity policies allowing unelected dictators like jean claude trichet threaten the future of EU mrmber states.

A large portion of that same 90 odd % will be singing a different tune when the next crash happens.

I've always wanted less involvement in the EU. Economic bloc and travel are great but social/ political union is too much and just a step to an EU state ruled from berlin.

ancapailldorcha

SeanW wrote: »

That's a really bizarre claim considering that the EU appears to be hell bent on eliminating nation states, nation state identities and building a super-state. As to Ireland being a "distinct entity with its own traditions and history" perhaps you failed to note that EU proponent and Irish elite Peter Sutherland recommended that precisely this be destroyed by the EU.

As quoted by the BBC:

A quote from one guy with no context? No thanks. Frankly, if the best that Eurosceptics can do is dismiss dissenting opinion and facts as fake news then I'm being more and more tempted to just ignore them.

RDM_83 again

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

A quote from one guy with no context? No thanks. Frankly, if the best that Eurosceptics can do is dismiss dissenting opinion and facts as fake news then I'm being more and more tempted to just ignore them.

This wouldn't be an issue if Peter Sutherland was just one guy or was even just a senior civil servant, the EU as it stands now has a major problem with nepotism and agendas being driven by cliques that don't derive their power from any popular legitimatecy, and keep in mind popular legitimacy isn't a dirty word it's the underpinning of democratic or Republican government systems.

Martin Selymar (Junkers successor is a prime example of this)

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-commission-selmayr/eu-lawmakers-roast-juncker-over-stitch-up-promotion-of-aide-idUKKCN1GO2K1

The above article says a lot, what says more is that despite all this opposition from the parliament it failed. I am not arguing for a EU parliament with greater power over internal nation state affairs but at a minimum they should have far more authority within the EU's internal processes

ancapailldorcha

RDM_83 again wrote: »

This wouldn't be an issue if Peter Sutherland was just one guy or was even just a senior civil servant, the EU as it stands now has a major problem with nepotism and agendas being driven by cliques that don't derive their power from any popular legitimatecy, and keep in mind popular legitimacy isn't a dirty word it's the underpinning of democratic or Republican government systems.

Martin Selymar (Junkers successor is a prime example of this)

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-commission-selmayr/eu-lawmakers-roast-juncker-over-stitch-up-promotion-of-aide-idUKKCN1GO2K1

The above article says a lot, what says more is that despite all this opposition from the parliament it failed. I am not arguing for a EU parliament with greater power over internal nation state affairs but at a minimum they should have far more authority within the EU's internal processes

Fair point but ultimately the member states need to agree to cede more national powers to Brussels. I can't see the likes of Viktor Orban agreeing to that. I would like to see the EU Parliament become more powerful in the realm of EU affairs though.

SeanW

SeanW wrote: »

That's a really bizarre claim considering that the EU appears to be hell bent on eliminating nation states, nation state identities and building a super-state. As to Ireland being a "distinct entity with its own traditions and history" perhaps you failed to note that EU proponent and Irish elite Peter Sutherland recommended that precisely this be destroyed by the EU.

As quoted by the BBC:

It's completely rational, I would suggest. EU legislation on an enormous range of issues from the environment to culture to justice has intellectually advanced the Irish worldview enormously from a conquered profoundly anglocentric population into a more intellectually open people. As far as I see it, there's zero point to a parliament in Dublin or Irish reunification if the ideas, thinking and mentality is essentially the one the English beat into the Irish. If the EU is "hell bent on eliminating" that imposition, it has my full, wholehearted support.

ArthurDayne

Deleted User wrote: »

It's completely rational, I would suggest. EU legislation on an enormous range of issues from the environment to culture to justice has intellectually advanced the Irish worldview enormously from a conquered profoundly anglocentric population into a more intellectually open people. As far as I see it, there's zero point to a parliament in Dublin or Irish reunification if the ideas, thinking and mentality is essentially the one the English beat into the Irish. If the EU is "hell bent on eliminating" that imposition, it has my full, wholehearted support.

Well said.

While there is no doubt as to who the most influential current members of the EU are, the EU has provided a fairer and more cohesive framework for balancing the interests of the France/Germany/UK power concentration with those of the smaller economies. I would argue that membership of the EU has actually strengthened our sovereignty and has given us greater clout on the continental level, as well as (as you say) acting as an effective counterweight to anglocentrism on these islands. Our strong links with American business and our ability to passport business across the EU has helped us to act as a business conduit between two of the world's most powerful economic blocs, a situation which has provided young Irish people with the chance to take part in significant business transactions and projects on our own home soil. The harmonisation of many of our laws and regulations with the other member states has not only helped to further us economically, but has also engendered a very healthy national identity of being distinctly Irish but proudly European.

To me -- our continued membership of the EU is an absolute no-brainer. We have more influence now among the traditional European powers, not less. The Brexit affair looked set to be the litmus test as to Ireland's ability to assert its interests against our more powerful neighbour, and so far we have stood our ground with the full weight of our European partners behind us.

markodaly

Deleted User wrote: »

It's completely rational, I would suggest. EU legislation on an enormous range of issues from the environment to culture to justice has intellectually advanced the Irish worldview enormously from a conquered profoundly anglocentric population into a more intellectually open people. As far as I see it, there's zero point to a parliament in Dublin or Irish reunification if the ideas, thinking and mentality is essentially the one the English beat into the Irish. If the EU is "hell bent on eliminating" that imposition, it has my full, wholehearted support.

In essence, swap one ruler for another. The EU are not as benevolent as you may think. They are self serving and once the hard choices are to be made, they will make them to serve their own interests, that of France and Germany. The illegal intervention of the ECB to Irish legislative decision making, showed by the banking inquiry, shone a light on this and should be a reminder to us all.

Your kind of mentality is disturbing actually but actually dying out thankfully as most people do not care about fighting the old wars of the past as if in some time warp.

SEPT 23 1989

I thought our No1 Republican would despise the EU empire

amcalester

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I thought our No1 Republican would despise the EU empire

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Experience_day

Deleted User wrote: »

It's completely rational, I would suggest. EU legislation on an enormous range of issues from the environment to culture to justice has intellectually advanced the Irish worldview enormously from a conquered profoundly anglocentric population into a more intellectually open people. As far as I see it, there's zero point to a parliament in Dublin or Irish reunification if the ideas, thinking and mentality is essentially the one the English beat into the Irish. If the EU is "hell bent on eliminating" that imposition, it has my full, wholehearted support.

I think our ancestors must be turning into our graves.

kunst nugget

Experience_day wrote: »

I think our ancestors must be turning into our graves.

They sound like the worst transformers ever.

Experience_day

kunst nugget wrote: »

They sound like the worst transformers ever.

They're not great, they couldn't do a full job of it and the end result seems a little lackluster.

Still they're ours I guess.