People trust European Union more than the Government

IRISH people trust the European Union more than they do the Government, the Dáil, Irish justice, big companies, trade unions and religious institutions.

About 60% of them believe the European Parliament has more power than the Dáil and that its decisions have much the same impact on their lives. Three-quarters of those questioned say the upcoming elections are important, but just 31% definitely intend to vote, while about half say they may do so.

However, when it comes to deciding who to vote for in the elections to the European Parliament, the issues will be mostly national ones that have little to do with the EU, according to the questionnaire carried out by Euro Barometer for the European Commission. The figures show that despite the general distrust of politics, the Irish are in fact more trusting than most of their EU neighbours. Just 16% on average trust political parties, while this is 23% in Ireland.