Did you know that ...
... Irish people trust the European Parliament more than any other EU political institution?
Based on the Spring 2008 Eurobarometer opinion poll, 62% of Irish people trust the European Parliament. The level of trust by Irish people for the European Parliament is 12% higher than the EU average of 50%.
The trust levels for the other European institutions are high as well, but can not keep up with the European Parliament. While 62% trust the European Union, 58% trust the Central Bank, 54% trust the European Commission and 50% trust the EU Council.
... 82% of Irish citizens think that Ireland has benefited from being in the EU?
Yes, 82% of Irish citizens say that Ireland has benefited from being a member of the European Union, with only 7% saying that Ireland has not benefited from being an EU member. In this category, Ireland has the highest score compared to all other member states of the EU.
... 73 % of Irish people regard EU membership as a good thing?
It's true. 73% of Irish citizens see EU membership as a good thing, while only 6 % would say that Ireland's membership in the EU is a bad thing. With the exception of the Netherlands, Ireland has once more the highest rate of approval in the whole EU.
... Irish citizens have a very positive image of the EU?
65% of Irish citizen see the EU as positive with 19% even rating the EU as very positive. On the downside only 8% have a negative view of the EU. The remaining 22% have a neutral image of the EU. Compared to the EU-average, Ireland is once more in the leading position. While on EU-level 48% see the EU positive, 15% see the EU negative.
... for many policy areas Irish people would prefer European solutions over Irish solutions?
Asked if decisions on special policy areas should rather be made by the national government or jointly within the European Union, Irish citizens often prefer the "European Way". This is for example the case for Fighting Terrorism, where 74% would like the EU to have more competences. 73% would like the EU to be more involved in deciding upon Scientific & Technological Research and 72% rate the EU important for the Support for the Regions. Other areas with strong preferences towards the EU are: Protecting the Environment with 63%, Energy with 62 %, Defence & Foreign Affairs with 60 %, Competition with 58 % or Consumer Protection with 56 %.
