Irish eyes keep on smiling, according to latest research

IRISH PEOPLE are among the happiest and most optimistic in Europe and believe themselves to be the healthiest, according to a major new survey.

Ireland also ranks third out of 27 countries on an index of mental health contained in the quality of life survey carried out by an EU agency.

Only Norway and the Netherlands scored higher in the index, which measured how calm, active, rested and interested in life respondents were.

Some 83 per cent of Irish people said their health was good or very good, higher than in any other European country, even those like France with much-lauded health systems. Yet more than one-third reported difficulties accessing health services, in terms of waiting times for appointments, waiting times to be seen and the cost of medical treatment.

The Irish ranked seventh of the 27 countries on a life satisfaction and happiness index, behind the Scandinavians and the Dutch. Some 78 per cent of us declared optimism about the future, higher than any other European state outside Scandinavia. Women were slightly more optimistic than men.

In Ireland and generally across Europe, people with higher income, good health and higher levels of education were more satisfied, happy and fulfilled. Those living with a partner and children also tended to be more satisfied.

Irish optimism is also reflected in our general levels of trust in other people, where we rank sixth in Europe. However, trust in politicians was markedly lower. Levels of trust are highest in the Nordic countries, followed by western Europe and lowest in the east.

The survey was carried out by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, an EU agency based in Dublin. Data for the survey was collected in late 2007, before the present financial crisis struck home. Only initial findings have been published, with the main results due next spring.

Irish people generally feel less perturbed than their neighbours about tensions between rich and poor and between ethnic groups. Nonetheless, one-third here believed there was tension between ethnic groups; the equivalent figure in the UK was 41 per cent and in France 52 per cent.

Household income in Ireland is the third-highest in Europe, after Luxembourg and Norway.

Across Europe, women spend much more time on domestic duties, according to the research - 33 hours a week as against 18 hours for men. Women spend 18 hours a week cooking and doing housework, as against 10 hours a week for men.

More than 37 per cent of Irish people said they owned their accommodation and had no mortgage. Some 16 per cent said they had reason to complain about crime or vandalism, 10 per cent about noise and 8 per cent about air pollution