Irish public want a referendum on any change to EU Treaty says new survey

Support for change is just marginal says opinion poll

Larger Text

Print

E-mail

7 Comments

Irish voters want a referendum on the proposed new European Union Treaty

Photo by Google Images

Tweet

Irish voters want a referendum on the proposed new European Union Treaty – with a small majority of favour of passing it.

Worries over the country’s lack of sovereignty in the wake of the EU-IMF bail-out have prompted the calls for a referendum on any Treaty chances.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has gone so far as to warn the EU of the need for a referendum in Ireland and is confident the public will support the proposed changes.

But a new Red C opinion poll for the Sunday Business Post newspapers says that a yes vote will receive only a narrow majority.

The poll found that more than seven in 10 people believe the new EU Treaty should go before the people in a referendum.

___________

Read More: 

France and Germany now calling the shots in Ireland

Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny – the wrong man at the wrong time

Ireland may require a referendum as part of Europe’s plans for fiscal union

___________ 

The Red C survey found that 72 per cent agreed that ‘Irish people should be asked to ratify any proposed treaty change’ while just 21 per cent said they did not believe a referendum should be held.

Asked how they would vote in any such referendum, 40 per cent of people said they would vote Yes but 36 per cent said they would vote No.

Opposition parties claim the Government is well aware it could lose a referendum and will try to avoid it at all costs.

EU leaders will finalise the wording of the proposed new treaty at a summit on Monday.

The Red C poll also signals that support for Ireland’s political parties is almost unchanged.

Coalition parties Fine Gael are down two points on 30 per cent and Labour are up one on 14 per cent,
Fianna Fáil are unchanged on 18 per cent, Sinn Féin are up two on 17 per cent and independents are up one on 21 per cent.

Print

E-mail

Tweet