Irish ‘among most tolerant’ in Europe

Irish people are among the most tolerant people in Europe, but despite this there has been an increase in the number of people saying they have been discriminated against in the past year.

Gender, disability, gay or transgender, different race or religion — it is all the same to the vast majority of Irish people even when it comes to being the Taoiseach, work colleagues or someone having a relationship with a son or daughter.

The only issue where the Irish discriminate more than any other nation is when it comes to where a person lives. A third believe that your address can militate against you getting a job — three times more than the EU average.

However, a quarter of those asked in Ireland said they had experienced discrimination in the previous 12 months — up a full 16 points since the last survey in 2012. This is the highest increase in the EU.

The survey coincides with a report from the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency which warns that xenophobia is on the rise in Europe, and especially against Jews and Muslims.

Their report says it is difficult to know the true extent of anti-Semitism because many countries do not collect figures on this crime while they believe it is under-reported in other countries. Three quarters of those asked said they believed anti-Semitism had increased online in the past five years.

Gardaí registered two incidents in 2013, the latest date for figures, the highest was 13 in 2010.

A conference in Brussels yesterday was told that half of Europeans believe that discrimination based on religion or belief is widespread — up from 39% three years ago. This comes at a time when migrants, mainly Syrian Muslims are seeking asylum in the EU.

Muslims suffer from the lowest levels of social acceptance among religious groups with just two thirds of those questioned across the EU saying they would be fully comfortable having a Muslim work colleague; and less than a half being alright with one of their adult children having a relationship with a Muslim.

While Irish people were the most tolerant when it came to the religion of the person “elected to the highest political office” in the country, Muslims were the most unpopular with 84% saying they would not be comfortable with a Muslim Taoiseach. This compared to 96% being happy with a Christian; 92% with an atheist or Buddhist; and 91% with a Jew.

The survey overall asked people how comfortable they would be with having a woman; a person with a different ethnic or religious background; a person with a disability; or a gay person being elected Taoiseach, working with them, being in a relationship with their son or daughter.

In all of these areas the Irish were either the most tolerant or among the top three or four nationalities, but even so, 20% did not believe gay, lesbian and bisexual people should have the same rights as heterosexuals. The Irish were the third most comfortable having a son or daughter in a same- sex relationship at 74%; and 58% were not fazed by a relationship with a transgender person.

The Irish are a little more shy with people kissing or holding hands in public — 72% approved, which is the EU average; while having homosexuals being demonstrative is at 56% — a higher tolerance than the average.