One-in-three Irish people support EU Constitution
An analysis of a poll carried out in May and June shows half of those questioned said they had no opinion on the document designed to guide the EU in the future.
The constitution is in limbo after rejection by France and the Netherlands.
The number opposed to the document has grown from 5% last November to 13% but the number supporting the document has also increased from 28% to 37%.
Those with no opinion have dropped from a high of 67%.
In the latest poll 63% of those queried said they knew nothing about the contents of the constitution. It was two years in preparation and members of the Dáil and the government were directly involved.
The lack of knowledge was confirmed by a short quiz in which over half the Irish mistakenly believed the constitution would do away with national citizenship and introduce a direct European tax.
Almost half of the 13% of Irish people who said they are opposed to the Treaty are concerned about loss of sovereignty; believe the EU is not democratic enough; don't want Turkey to join the EU or are simply opposed to the Irish government or particular political parties. Those who say they were most knowledgeable about the constitution were the Dutch and French who rejected the new treaty in referendums.
However, there were still about two thirds in both countries that admitted their knowledge of the treaty was poor.
The Belgians, whose government has ratified the constitution, are its biggest fans with 70% favouring it, while the British are the most opposed at 30%, with 31% in favour and 39% saying they don't know.
Despite Irish ambivalence about the constitution on which final agreement among EU leaders was negotiated by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the Irish are the most positive of all about the union.
The poll held good news too for the 13 Irish MEPs elected just over a year ago with those quizzed saying they trusted the parliament (57%) more than the United Nations (56%) or the government (41%).
However, politicians who think politics is the favourite sport of the Irish should think again; just 61% said they discussed politics regularly which was lower than the European average of 71%.
Commenting on the survey, director of the European Commission's office in Ireland, Martin Territt, said: "An absence of relevant information is the single biggest barrier to having informed citizens. We need to heed this message. We cannot afford any more complacency."
His office is developing a new communication strategy to be rolled-out in the coming months.
* PEOPLE living in member states will also be EU citizens.
* The EU will be a legal entity able to take a seat on the UN Security Council for instance and sign international treaties.
* The union is one of citizens and states, not a federation.
* The EU is based on principles such as human dignity, democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.
* Citizens' rights are outlined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
* The EU has only the powers given it by the member states and must not make decisions better taken at national level.
* EU law continues to have precedence over national law.
* There will be a permanent president of the European Council made up of member states' ministers and leaders.
* It will have a foreign minister to represent the EU in the areas of foreign policy in which it agrees to co-operate.
* Most decisions will be taken by majority vote - 55% of countries representing 65% of the population of the Union.
* Member states agree to come to one another's aid in case of terrorist attacks.
* A petition from one million of the EU's citizens will force change of laws affecting the EU.
* For the first time, member states will be able to leave the union.
