70% do not trust politicians to tell truth

Seven out of 10 Irish people do not trust government leaders to tell the truth, an international survey revealed.

Although overall trust in the country’s administration is rising, the number of people who have faith in politicians doing their job properly remains very low.

The 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer which gauges public confidence in powerful institutions such as government, business and the media around the world, also found:

* One in 10 Irish people believe the Government is listening to their needs.

* 12% believe the Fine Gael/Labour administration is effectively managing the economy.

* 14% have faith in the Coalition to create jobs through training programmes.

Overall, trust in the Government has risen from 20% to 35%, but that compares to a global average of 43%.

Two thirds of the population think the country is on the wrong track to recovery from the economic crisis. Less than 10% have any faith in banks compared to an overall 46% population-wide trust level in business.