Rural Ireland Thinks poll: Majority of rural Ireland would favour assisted dying

When people in rural Ireland were asked if Ireland should introduce laws to permit assisted dying and euthanasia, 32% strongly agreed, 25% somewhat agreed, 10% neither agreed nor disagreed, 5% somewhat disagreed; 16% strongly disagreed; 9% didn’t know and 3% preferred not to say. Picture: Lynne Cameron/PA

A majority of people in rural Ireland would support laws to enable assisted dying or euthanasia, with 57% in favour of the measure and 21% opposed.

The findings are contained within the Irish Examiner / Ipsos rural Ireland poll which also found that 55% believe legalised abortion has had a positive impact on the country, while 18% believe it has not.

These broadly liberal views come despite the poll also finding that a majority of people in rural Ireland consider themselves to be religious — 58% say they are religious whereas 26% say they are not.

According to 2022 census data, 3.5m people living in Ireland reported that their religion was Catholic, accounting for 69% of the population.

The Catholic Church is opposed to both abortion and assisted dying.

Assisted dying 

When people in rural Ireland were asked if Ireland should introduce laws to permit assisted dying and euthanasia, 32% strongly agreed, 25% somewhat agreed, 10% neither agreed nor disagreed, 5% somewhat disagreed; 16% strongly disagreed and 9% didn’t know.

Men and women felt similarly on whether the Government should introduce laws around assisted dying, with 58% of males and 59% of females asked in favour of such legislation.

There was also a slight socioeconomic difference, with the more traditionally wealthy managerial, administrative or professional workers and farmers being 62% in favour of introducing assisted dying legislation, and 51% of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers, casual workers, pensioners and the unemployed being in favour.

Younger age cohorts were more in favour of the introduction of such legislation, with 63% of 16-24-year-olds in favour; 57% of 25-34-year-olds in favour; 66% of 35–49-year-olds in favour; 58% of 50-64-year-olds, and just 47% of the over 65s being in favour of the measure.

In Munster, 54% were in favour; in Leinster, some 59% were in favour and in Connaghut/Ulster, 63% were in favour.

Abortion

More women than men agreed that the legalisation of abortion had been positive for the country, with 53% of men in favour and 57% of women.

Furthermore, the younger age cohorts were significantly more supportive of abortion access, with 76% of those aged 16-24 believing legalised abortion had been positive for Ireland; 63% of those aged 24-34; 60% of those aged 35-49; 51% of those aged 50-64, and just 37% of those aged over 65.

This shows a 39 percentage point difference in support for abortion access between those aged 16-24 and those aged over 65.

When asked if legalising abortion had been a positive for the country, 27% strongly agreed; 28% somewhat agreed; 13% neither agreed nor disagreed; 6% somewhat disagreed; 12% strongly disagreed; 11% didn’t know, and 3% preferred not to say.

Wealthier social groups also were more in favour of abortion, with 61% of the more traditionally wealthy and educated managerial, administrative or professional workers and farmers believing abortion had been positive for the country. 

Only 44% of the traditionally less wealthy and educated skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled manual workers, casual workers, pensioners, and unemployed agreed with that statement.

Possible legislation on assisted dying

In March, an Oireachtas joint committee on assisted dying recommended legalising euthanasia for those with “incurable, irreversible” conditions where suffering cannot be relieved in a way they find “tolerable”.

A biennial international conference of the World Federation of the Right to Die Societies will be held in Dublin later this week.

Dr Teresa Reidy of University College Cork’s Government department said that legislating for assisted dying would “definitely not happen in the near future” but may be grappled with by the next government following the general election, which is due in the coming months.

Unlike with other contentious changes like permitting abortion, legalising assisted dying is unlikely to require a referendum, Dr Reidy said.

But a forum like a citizens' assembly, which could examine the issue in detail and develop ideas around policy, would be advisable before any such legislation is introduced, she said: 

It’s something that may emerge on the agenda of the next government, but it’s most unlikely, given that we’re in the close-out phase of the current government, that there would be any kind of rush to deal with something like that now.

“Even if it was to decide in principle it would proceed then there would have to be a conversation on what basis and within what parameters and that’s kind of quite a long process.

“So it’s unlikely that you’d see anything moving on this in the immediate future.” Experience on other contentious issues like abortion have shown that the public is often more liberal on these issues that politicians think, she said.