Most Irish people expect EU would defend us, but a minority would send military help the other way

A NEW POLL has found that while a majority of Irish people would expect EU countries to come to our aid if we were attacked, only a minority would support sending military support the other way.

The polling was carried out earlier this month by research agency More in Common among a demographically representative sample size of 1,908 adults.

It found that while close to 60% of adults think EU countries would come to Ireland’s aid if the State was attacked, only a third think Ireland should be prepared to militarily support another EU country if it is attacked.

Meanwhile, three-quarters of those polled said the Irish Defence Forces would “not be well-prepared if Ireland were attacked”.

Elsewhere, 55% have a favourable view towards neutrality and 58% feel that “whatever happens in the world”, Ireland should remain militarily neutral.

Support for neutrality meanwhile is highest among Aontú, Sinn Féin and Independent Ireland voters.

Some 72% of Aontú and Independent Ireland voters say they will stick with neutrality come what may, and this figure drops slightly to 69% among Sinn Féin voters.

Half of Fine Gael voters meanwhile think neutrality is a policy that “should be reviewed as the world changes”, while 47% of Fianna Fáil voters hold this view.

Elsewhere, over half believe that neutrality should include blocking Shannon Airport from being used for refuelling by foreign militaries.

The poll also found that just under 60% of adults in Ireland believe that sending weapons and ammunition to Ukraine is a breach of Irish neutrality.

And while some 41% say that sending body armour and medical supplies to Ukraine is not compatible with neutrality, 45% believe that it is compatible (while 14% don’t know).

The EU has financially supported Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, with the most recent agreement of €90 billion.

Ireland is part of the “Coalition of the Willing”, a group of 34 countries which has pledged strengthened support for Ukraine.

Speaking earlier this month, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the EU has “to do an awful lot more” in terms of Ukraine’s security and defence capability.

Ireland’s place in the world

People were also asked about “Ireland’s place in the world”, and few seem to think that Ireland is taken seriously on the world stage.

While some 17% believe Ireland is “taken seriously” by other countries when it speaks at the EU or United Nations, close to half (47%) believe that while other countries listen, “it makes little difference to what they do”.

Meanwhile, some 27% believe that other countries “pay little attention to Ireland”.

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Elsewhere, 56% want Ireland to speak up when it disagrees with the US, even if this will come at a cost to Ireland, while 60% feel the same way about the EU.

And while some political anoraks will be invested in Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council, over a fifth of adults have heard “nothing at all” about it, while 55% have heard “a little”.

Attitudes to aid

The Irish government has committed to reaching a UN target of spending 0.7% of its budget on overseas aid, a target which has not yet been reached.

Some 56% of adults think Ireland should keep this promise, 18% say the promise should be dropped, while some 13% feel that Ireland should stop all spending on international aid.

Elsewhere, just over half believe Ireland should provide international aid “because it’s the right thing to do, without expecting anything back”, while around a third say Ireland should provide aid “partly because of what we get back from it”.

And while close to 80% feel that Ireland is doing its “fair share” when it comes to international aid, less than a third feel this way about the US.

The US and UK recently cut their international aid allocations and overseas aid fell globally by 23% last year, the largest annual drop in official development assistance on record.

Nearly one in three believe that aid cuts will result in more deaths from disease and hunger, while 28% expect more conflict and 28% also expect more migration caused by conflict, poverty or instability.

Meanwhile, just under half believe the EU should maintain its aid spending despite cuts elsewhere, while 40% say the EU should cut international aid spending given that the US and UK have done so.

Elsewhere, over 60% of adults are concerned about the likelihood of another global pandemic, and two-thirds think that protecting healthcare in poor countries will in turn protect Ireland from disease.

The poll also found that only 44% feel that the world would not be prepared for another global pandemic.

‘Hold the line on aid’

Conleth Burns, associate director of More in Common Ireland, remarked that “people think Ireland pulls its weight on aid while other countries don’t”.

He also noted that the polling found that “more people want Europe to hold the line on aid than follow others in cutting it”.

Burns added: “It’s clear that Irish people think aid isn’t simply charity – it works for Ireland too, protecting us from disease outbreaks and easing migration pressures.”

On migration, more than half (56%) support Ireland providing aid to help reduce the number of people forced to leave their homes for reasons of poverty, conflict or instability, while just under half believe international aid helps reduce this type of migration.

The polling was commissioned by the Strategic Communications and Advocacy Lab, which is run by Future Advocacy.  

Future Advocacy’s clients include the Gates Foundation, the Jamie Oliver Group, the NHS, and the Elton John Aid Foundation.