Majority well disposed to UK - survey

Irish people are well disposed to the UK, but believe it needs to improve relations with the Republic on Northern Ireland, Sellafield and EU matters, according to a major report on Irish attitudes published today.The report, Through Irish Eyes, shows that, while Irish people believe the UK is a major financial trading centre, they rate German, Japanese and American industry more highly.

Irish people also rate their education system much more highly than other developed countries including the UK, US and Australia.

On Anglo-Irish relations, 81 per cent believe the relationship between Dublin and Downing Street is good or better. Some 77 per cent believe relations have improved in the last decade.

However, 76 per cent believe there is room for improved co-operation on Northern Ireland, while 70 per cent say co-operation could be improved on the EU, 95 per cent on Sellafield and 92 per cent on dealing with refugees.

The survey shows that Irish people believe the UK is either extremely or very influential at EU level, while 44 per cent believe Ireland wields the same level of influence.

Some 73 per cent of people surveyed for the report say Ireland is closer to Boston than Berlin in economic, cultural and social terms, with 16 per cent saying it is closer to Berlin.

Some 40 per cent believe the UK is closer to Boston, with 32 per cent believing it is closer to Berlin.

The Irish see their relationship with the US as primarily an economic one, while they view the UK's relationship with the US as a geopolitical one.

The report was commissioned by the British Council Ireland along with the British embassy.

The council's director, Mr Tony Reilly, said the findings suggested that levels of familiarity between Ireland and the UK were unprecedented.

However, he said, concerns might still remain about arrogant or superior attitudes, and British people must remain on their guard in that respect.

"If, as the evidence suggests, there is a low appreciation of the UK's contemporary creative, cultural and scientific achievements, we need to find opportunities to expose audiences in Ireland to fresh and recent examples of the UK's creative ideas and recent achievements," said Mr Reilly.

The research was carried out as part of a major survey which determined attitudes towards the UK in 30 countries. The body of research relating to Ireland was conducted, in the second half of last year, by the Dublin market research agency Behaviour & Attitudes.

Some 400 young professionals, all graduates, were surveyed last August.Half were aged up to 30, with the remaining 50 per cent aged between 31 and 40 years.

The group comprised an equal number of men and women. A questionnaire was used to survey a further 1,200 adults aged 15 years and over in 60 locations in September.

The research found respondents felt they knew the UK better than other countries, followed by the US, France, Germany and Japan. They were best disposed towards the UK followed by the US, France, Germany and Japan.

The majority, 75 per cent, of respondents see the UK as a multicultural society, but 73 per cent believe it is a nation with significant race problems. Some 38 per cent believe the UK media are less honest than the Irish media.