Survey reveals positive attitude to EU unity among Irish people
Most Irish people believe that EU unity is a strength, a survey has found.
The survey, on the attitudes of EU citizens, shows that 85% of Irish people agreed with the statement "What brings the citizens of the EU Member States together is more important than what separates them", compared to an EU average of 74%.
However, the Eurobarometer study shows that EU citizens are unhappy with the way that the union deals with issues such as unemployment, and the fight against terrorism.
People in Ireland did not feel at risk from terrorism when compared to other European nations, with just 11% beleiving Ireland is at "high risk" of a terrorist attack, compared to an EU average of 40%.
Fine Gael MEP Mairia McGuinness said that the EU should take heed of the negative, as well as the positive responses to this latest survey.
"There is almost a conflict within this, but the one clear message is that if we could work on that sense of unity amongst Europeans that we would perhaps get a better view of the European Union from citizens, because I think the difference is perhaps accounted for by the fact that people like the European idea, but sometimes they're not so happy with the European Union," she said.
"I think we have work to do on that."
