Security and energy top EU priorities for Irish people

68% of Irish people said they had difficulties paying bills 'most of the time', compared to the EU average of 40%.

Irish people believe defence and security, along with energy independence, are the two top areas that the EU should focus on to strengthen its position in the world, a survey shows.

The European Parliament Eurobarometer Spring 2026 Survey also found almost nine out of 10 Irish people believe the US is going in the “wrong direction” — the fifth highest among 27 member states.

The survey reveals an increased fear among people across the EU, including Ireland, about the future of the planet.

However, a substantial majority believe the EU is a “place of stability” in a troubled world.

Irish people place access to affordable housing as the third most important issue for improving their quality of life, compared to eighth for the EU average.

More than 26,000 face-to-face interviews were conducted among people across the EU between April and May 2026, including just over 1,000 such interviews in Ireland.

Some 93% of Irish people surveyed said they were satisfied with their quality of life, compared to 83% for the EU average.

This is despite 68% of Irish people saying they have difficulties paying bills “most of the time”, compared to the EU average of 40%.

When asked about what the EU should focus on to strengthen its position in the world, the top three were:

• Defence and security — 34% for Irish people (up 2% on November 2025) and 39% on average in the EU;
• Energy independence — 34% for Irish people (up 7%) and 35% across the EU;
• Food security — 30% for Irish people (up 5%) and 23% in the EU. 

Asked what topics the European Parliament should address, combating inflation was the top issue, both in the EU (47%, up 6%) and Ireland (58%, up 6%).

Economy and jobs were the second issue, about 34% for both Ireland and the EU.

Defence and security was the third top issue on average across the EU (34%) and fifth for Irish people (22%, up 5%).

Public health was the fourth top issue for Irish people (45%), compared to 30% across the EU.

Migration and asylum was the fourth main issue for Irish people, but significantly down from last year (32%, down 13%), compared to 19% across the EU.

Some 46% of EU people on average thought the EU was “going in the wrong direction”, but this fell to 34% among Irish interviewees.

Asked whether the US was going in the wrong direction, 76% of EU citizens said 'Yes', rising to 87% among Irish people. This placed Ireland fifth highest out of the 27 member states, behind Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.

The Eurobarometer report said the survey was conducted against the background of the joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran and the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a "sharp increase" in energy prices. 

This could be a factor in the "notable increase" in energy being a top priority.