Referendum outcome could be close
However, a small majority believe such children should not qualify for automatic citizenship, as will be the case should the proposed constitutional amendment be passed in June.
The poll, conducted by Lansdowne Market Research at the weekend, found 47% were not in favour of a child who does not have an Irish parent being entitled to citizenship.
However, 43% believed that citizenship should remain on offer to non-national children born in Ireland.
With 10% of respondents expressing a Don't Know answer, there is a margin of just 4% between both viewpoints.
The results indicate an unexpected level of opposition to the core issue behind June's referendum poll despite the publicity surrounding last week's Advocate General opinion in the Chen case. In its preliminary judgment in the Chen case, the European Court of Justice found that a baby born in Ireland to a Chinese mother had the right to reside in Britain on the basis of being an Irish, and therefore, EU citizen.
The case was immediately seized upon by the Government as yet another justification for the referendum but does not appear to have significantly altered the views of those opposed to the principle behind the referendum. Last week's Irish Examiner/Prime Time poll conducted in Munster last Tuesday and Wednesday found similar results to the latest poll with 44% of respondents against allowing non-national children automatic citizenship and 41% in favour.
Speaking at the launch of Fianna Fáil's referendum campaign on Sunday, Government chief whip Mary Hanafin predicted that the results of the Irish Examiner/Prime Time poll in the South would have been more in favour of withdrawing citizenship had the preliminary finding in the Chen case been known.
But the ruling appears to have made little impact on the views of those opposed to withdrawing citizenship in the North West constituency.
Certainly, the first two Irish Examiner polls, although not a strict indicator of how people will actually vote on June 11, show a surprisingly high number of voters in favour of continuing the current practice of granting automatic citizenship to children born to non-nationals.
In both polls, women were more likely to favour granting automatic citizenship, as were younger voters.
The No side has also attracted some well-respected international voices such as former US congressman Bruce Morrison. Following Sunday's Fianna Fáil launch, Michael McDowell will today kick-start the Progressive Democrats campaign, adding to a strong and forceful Yes message.
Despite an Irish Times/MRBI poll showing a two to one majority in favour of the amendment, the level of opposition to the core issue involved in the referendum, as shown by this latest Irish Examiner poll, will provide a welcome boost for the No side.
The message is clear: June's referendum could be a far closer affair than expected and everything is still to play for.
