COST OF LIVING is the most important issue for people in Ireland today, according to pollsters.

A new survey by More in Common examined public opinion on a range of issues as Ireland begins its presidency of the Council of the European Union. 

But as the presidency kicks off, issues that remain at the forefront of people’s minds are pressing, national ones: the cost of living, housing, and immigration.

Meanwhile, questions that dominate the EU presidency barely register in people’s minds. 

Two polls were carried out between April and June this year, with a total sample size of around 4,300 people. 

It found that issues that will be in sharp focus for the politicians helming Ireland’s presidency are less important for ordinary people.

When asked about the most important issues facing Ireland today, geopolitical issues such as relations with the EU (3%), defence (4%), and the war in Ukraine (5%) were of low priority.

Meanwhile, cost of living and housing remain the biggest issues for the country, at 66% and 58% respectively, with immigration and healthcare also high on people’s list. The public also thinks that these issues should be prioritised during the presidency. 

When asked to describe the country in a word or two, “expensive” was also one of the main words that people used.

But while attention on national issues is high, awareness of the EU presidency is fairly low. 38% of people had not heard anything about the presidency, while less than a fifth of people had heard “a lot” about it.  

When asked to choose between closer ties with the EU or the US, three quarters of people picked the EU. 

This contrasts with the public perception of the EU itself, with a majority (61%) of voters saying that EU membership is a good thing for the country.