Addressing the Oireachtas Joint Committee on EU Affairs, EM Ireland CEO, Noelle O Connell says Conference on the Future of Europe must be truly people-centred and genuinely engage citizens
For immediate release
Dublin, 19 May 2021: EM Ireland CEO Noelle O Connell this morning addressed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on EU Affairs highlighting key findings of the annual EM Ireland ‘Ireland and the EU’ RED C Research Poll:
“The key finding of 84% agreeing that Ireland should remain part of the EU remains encouraging and consistent. However, a significantly lower figure of 53% saying that the EU is moving in the right direction suggests the strong support for EU membership cannot be taken for granted in the years ahead.
“Irish people remain positively disposed towards the EU, but support is not unequivocal and it should not be taken for granted. In a world that is changing fast, old certainties are becoming new uncertainties. Simple things like time with friends and family, going to work and the freedom to travel have been taken away. Freedoms that we once may have taken for granted were lost unexpectedly. Our economies are devastated and our societies fractured. The EU will be central to our collective recovery an its future legitimacy and public support will depend on how it responds to these challenges. Ireland’s position as an active, engaged and progressive Member State will be central to that effort but that position can only be maintained with the support of the Irish people and that support must be earned, and trust maintained through action and engagement.”
Just over half of respondents in the 2021 Ireland and the EU Poll agreed that now is the right time to hold a Conference on the Future of Europe, even if it results in a referendum in Ireland. The Conference on the Future of Europe was launched in Strasbourg on 9 May 2021 and officially launched in Ireland at a recent Department of Foreign Affairs online event.
Noelle O Connell said: “We see this process as a significant opportunity for citizens to contribute to the future shape of the EU. However, we must remain determined to ensure this is a truly bottom-up exercise that genuinely engages citizens and produces tangible outcomes.”
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Press Queries: Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh, Head of Communications and Education, European Movement Ireland | 087 9503539 | E: lisa@europeanmovement.ie
Social Media:
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Notes:
- The full set of ‘Ireland and the EU’ poll results are available here;
- Contact Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh to arrange for interview / comment – details as above;
- Tá urlabhraithe Gaeilge ar fáil le hagallaimh a dhéanamh leis na meáin Gaeilge;
- Methodology: The poll was carried out by RED C Research between the dates 19 – 25 March 2021 among a representative sample of 1,003 people aged 18 and over. An online panel, chosen randomly, were asked by RED C to Agree Strongly / Slightly, or Disagree Strongly / Slightly. Our results are grouped in the categories Agree, Disagree and Don’t Know.