Ill health biggest fear for 40% of Irish adults, report says

More than 85 per cent of Dublin residents say they cannot afford a comfortable standard of living in the capital, and more than 90 per cent say they are no better off financially than they were three years ago, a new survey has found.

Irish adults' top three fears are getting sick, not being able to afford good healthcare and not earning enough money, according to the latest Irish Lifestyles report from market researchers Mintel Ireland.

The biggest worry for 40 per cent of adults is falling victim to ill health, while 30 per cent fear that they will not be able to afford adequate healthcare if they do get sick. Concern about needing to pay to get adequate healthcare was highest in the 55-64 age bracket with 40 per cent listing it as a top concern.

Overall 29 per cent of adults said they did not earn enough money, with a further 27 per cent stating that they "always have to watch every penny". However these anxieties were heightened in Dublin with only 14 per cent of those surveyed in the city reporting that they were comfortable with their standard of living and just 8 per cent stating that their financial situation had improved in the last three years.

Those most worried about money were in the 35-44 age bracket with almost 40 per cent listing low earnings as their biggest concern. One quarter of all adults said they were concerned about the high cost of housing with those aged 15-24 most concerned about getting on the property ladder.

Although a large number of adults were very worried about their finances, one third saw foreign holidays as the greatest priority for their money. Contributing to a savings account was their next priority for their cash at 19 per cent, with 18 per cent stating that the most important thing to do with their money was to decorate their homes.

Despite Ireland having the fastest growth rate in personal debt in the EU, only 10 per cent intended to pay off their credit card bill or loan, while just 5 per cent said that starting a pension or increasing pension contributions was a priority for them.

Some 27 per cent were worried about being the victim of crime, with those aged over 65 having the highest level of fear, with 40 per cent of them saying they worried that they would become crime victims, followed closely by those in the 55-64 bracket at 39 per cent.

EU statistics on crime rates showed that the actual number of people who fell victim to crime in Ireland in 2004 was 22 per cent. However this is higher than the EU average of 15 per cent.

Concern about the future of the environment was low, the survey found,with just one in six concerned about human effects on it. Consumers' concerns largely revolved around the impact environmental measures would have on their pockets such as fuel taxes or waters rates, rather than issues of long-term impact.