You’re well informed because you saw it there or read it right here

By Noel Whelan I SPENT one morning last week in the company of a group of journalists, officials, academics and europhiles listening to a presentation of data and analysis arising from an opinion poll.

The poll in question was a survey which the European Commission Representation in Ireland had arranged after the second Nice referendum last October. The poll was designed to find out why people voted for or against ratification of the Nice Treaty, or abstained. It also explored public perceptions, preferences and sources of information on European issues. It wasn’t exactly the easiest of topics to stay awake for, but there was coffee available.

The survey work was actually carried out by the market survey company formerly known as IMS, which now has a longer name as a result of a merger with one of the international polling agencies. The responses gathered were analysed by Prof Richard Sinnott of UCD who fronted last week’s presentation. Richard Sinnott lectured me in college 15 years ago and he’s a political scientist for whom I have a lot of respect. He is the type of expert in public opinion who can spot a statistical shift in attitude a mile off and can interpret the slightest bend in the line of a graph.