Irish support for remaining in EU reaches all time high

08-05-2018 03:08PM #1

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 · 08-05-2018 03:10PM

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

08-05-2018 03:11PM

Thank God for some common sense remaining.

kunst nugget · 08-05-2018 03:16PM

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

The_Kew_Tour · 08-05-2018 03:17PM

Good and hardly surprising

Cee-Jay-Cee · 08-05-2018 03:20PM

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 · 08-05-2018 03:23PM

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%.

08-05-2018 03:29PM

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 · 08-05-2018 03:34PM

[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 · 08-05-2018 03:35PM

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

seamus · 08-05-2018 03:50PM

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 · 08-05-2018 03:54PM

In other news.....

8% of the population are thick as bricks!

Shenshen · 08-05-2018 03:54PM

grahambo wrote: »

In other news.....

8% of the population are thick as bricks!

That number IS surprisingly low...

ohnonotgmail · 08-05-2018 04:03PM

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 · 08-05-2018 04:07PM

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 · 08-05-2018 04:09PM

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.

08-05-2018 04:10PM

grahambo wrote: »

In other news.....

8% of the population are thick as bricks!

Remember that half the population is of below average intelligence

VinLieger · 08-05-2018 04:10PM

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?

08-05-2018 04:45PM

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 · 08-05-2018 04:48PM

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_ · 08-05-2018 05:31PM

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 · 08-05-2018 05:34PM

_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.

08-05-2018 07:12PM

Odhinn wrote: »

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

Shudder

08-05-2018 07:21PM

_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 · 08-05-2018 07:31PM

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 · 08-05-2018 07:34PM

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

08-05-2018 07:34PM

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

08-05-2018 07:38PM

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 · 08-05-2018 07:48PM

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

Has anyone told Nigel Farage?

ancapailldorcha · 08-05-2018 10:02PM

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 · 08-05-2018 10:37PM

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

Irish support for remaining in EU reaches all time high

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