One in three Irish against Turkey joining EU

About one-third of Irish people would oppose Turkish membership of the EU, a new opinion poll has found.

The poll on Irish attitudes to the EU also indicates that half the population is undecided about the proposed EU constitution.

The latest Eurobarometer poll, published yesterday by the EU Commission representation in Ireland, suggests that the overwhelming majority of people believe the country has benefited from EU membership.

The poll also reveals that just over half of Irish respondents are "for" developments towards political union. However, it suggests that there are significant reservations about future EU enlargement.

Just under 40 per cent of those surveyed support limiting enlargement to only some of the countries that wish to join the EU. Some 13 per cent of respondents believe no additional countries should be allowed into the EU.

A total of 29 per cent of respondents favour an enlargement of the EU to include all countries that wished to join.

When asked about specific countries seeking to join, 34 per cent said they would oppose the membership of Turkey. One-third said that they would support Turkey joining the EU, and 29 per cent had no opinion.

The poll found Irish people opposed to Turkish membership were likely to agree with the view that cultural differences were "too significant to allow for this accession".

Those in favour of Turkish membership were likely to agree with the view that it is part of Europe because of its geography (90 per cent); its history (80 per cent); that Turkey's membership would enhance understanding between European and Muslim values (81 per cent); and strengthen security and help rejuvenate an ageing European population (70 per cent).

The poll indicates that Irish people would favour the accession of countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. It found 50 per cent of respondents said that they did not have an opinion on the proposed EU constitution.

A total of 37 per cent were in favour of the constitution, while 13 per cent were against.

The poll also suggests that while most people had heard of the constitution, the majority are unaware of its provisions.

Some 15 per cent of respondents had heard of the constitution and knew of its contents, while 62 per cent had heard of it but knew little about what it contained.

The most common reason Irish people had for supporting the constitution (38 per cent) was that they saw it as essential for the smooth running of EU institutions.

Some 29 per cent supported the document because it strengthened the feeling of European identity.

The most common reason (41 per cent) people gave for opposing the constitution was that they associated it with a loss of national sovereignty. Almost the same percentage cited a lack of information as a reason for their opposition.

The poll of 1,006 people in Ireland was carried out by TNS MRBI last May and June, partly before the referendums in France and the Netherlands on the constitution.