Irish show more support for Lisbon Treaty

19 May, 2009

The Irish government will be relieved to hear that support for the Lisbon Treaty is beginning to consolidate, as numbers intending to vote yes in the referendum later this year continue to grow.

In the Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll, 2,000 people across the country were asked how they would vote. 52 per cent said they were in favour of ratifying the treaty, 29 per cent were against and the remainder were still undecided. Asked if, in the current crisis, it would be better for Ireland to remain part of the EU, almost 80 per cent said yes. Many believe that this shift in public opinion over the past year has been greatly influenced by Ireland's economic crisis.

Support for the treaty has further increased among the better-off middle-class voters, particularly those in Dublin where the Yes side is running at 58 per cent, while the least well-off continue to favour a