Irish support for EU membership has fallen to its lowest level in 12 years, a damning new poll has revealed.
Only 82 per cent of people now believe Ireland should remain in the EU – a two percentage point drop from last year’s figure.
The decline comes amid growing concerns over immigration, according to the survey conducted by pollsters at Amarach Research.
And it marks a significant fall from a high of 93 per cent support recorded in 2019 during the Brexit negotiations.
At the time, Brussels had backed Dublin’s concerns over the post-Brexit border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Campaign group European Movement Ireland has been conducting these annual EU polls since 2013 – and this year’s figure is the lowest of that timespan.
Only 82 per cent of Irish voters now believe Ireland should remain in the EU
PA
The survey sampled 1,200 people via email on March 26 and 28.
But of that cohort, migration control emerged as the biggest reason for dissatisfaction with the EU’s direction.
Among those unhappy with the bloc, 35 per cent cited immigration issues as their primary concern – just as Ireland grapples with a housing crisis which has fuelled calls to cut migration.
EU asylum policies have faced fury from anti-immigration campaigners in Ireland – but despite their anger, 56 per cent of respondents still supported more countries joining the EU.
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Migration control emerged as the biggest reason for dissatisfaction with the EU
PA
Bureaucratic Brussels red tape was another significant factor, with 24 per cent of respondents saying it was a concern.
And in infamously neutral Ireland, a perceived “militarisation” of the bloc since the war in Ukraine was mentioned by 24 per cent of people.
Yet still, just under half of respondents (47 per cent) said they believed the EU was headed in the right direction.
Among those who believes is not Conor McGregor, the mixed martial arts fighter, who plans to run in October’s presidential election on an anti-immigration platform.
McGregor has vowed to hold a referendum on EU reforms to asylum law if elected president of Ireland – and has called for an “Irexit” if necessary to avoid US tariffs from Donald Trump.
Bureaucratic Brussels red tape was another significant factor, with 24 per cent of respondents saying it was a concern
PA
It remains uncertain whether McGregor will secure the support needed to stand in the election.
Noelle O’Connell, head of European Movement Ireland, told the Irish Times that the level of support for the EU was still “incredibly high”.
She said the Irish people valued being part of the EU trading bloc, particularly given the threat of Trump’s tariffs.
In contrast to the Republic’s declining figures, support for EU membership in Northern Ireland increased by one percentage point to 77 per cent.
Northern Ireland had predominantly voted Remain in 2016.
