Irish people support reducing reliance on Russian energy, survey finds

The rising cost of living was the second most important issue here, with 51% of respondents citing it as a key concern.

Irish people are among the most likely in Europe to agree with reducing the EU's reliance on Russian sources of energy, according to a new survey.

The Eurobarometer poll found 91% of people here agree the EU should reduce its dependency on Russian energy as soon as possible, compared to the EU average of 84%, while 90% agree the EU should invest massively in renewables compared to an EU average of 86%.

Meanwhile, the most important issue facing Ireland at the moment is housing, with 52% citing this as a key concern compared to the EU average of just 8%.

The rising cost of living was the second most important issue here, with 51% of respondents citing it as a key concern. That compared to 44% in January 2022.

Separately, Irish people are far more likely to trust the national media to deliver trustworthy information (74%) than the EU average of 59%.

They are also far more likely to agree the Irish media provides information free from political or commercial pressure (68%), compared to an EU average of 48%.

The majority (80%) of the public here agree they often come across news or information they believe misrepresents reality or is false, well above the EU average of 69%.

The public here are much more likely to be satisfied with both the Government's (78%) and the EU's (76%) reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine than the EU averages of 55% and 56%.

Eighty four per cent of Irish citizens are optimistic about the future of the EU, the highest across the EU27 and well above the EU27 average of 62%.

Lastly, 74% of people here have a positive view of the EU, up four percentage points on summer 2022 and the highest across the EU27, where the average is 45%.

In addition, 63% of Irish people say they feel informed on European matters, the second highest in the EU after Luxembourg (69%) and well above the EU average of 35%.

Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland Barbara Nolan said the report shows Irish citizens continue to show strong support for Irish and EU actions to support Ukraine and its people.

“The poll shows that Irish people hold a very positive image of the EU, the highest of any EU country. They are also the most optimistic about the EU’s future. 

"A large majority of Irish people also feel well informed about European matters, second only to Luxembourg, and well above the EU average,” she said.