Only a small minority of voters would be prepared to consider changes such as a new Irish flag, national anthem or joining the Commonwealth to make a united Ireland more acceptable to northern unionists, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll.
The poll showed 70 per cent of voters say they would not be willing to consider such changes, but they are keen to push on with unity, with a large majority believing the Government should begin preparations for the possibility.
Voters are keen to see referendums held by the end of this decade. However, almost two-thirds say they have concerns about the potential costs of a united Ireland.
For the poll, voters were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements on unity.
RM Block
On the statement “The Government should begin preparations for possible Irish unity”, 68 per cent agreed, with 19 per cent disagreeing and 13 per cent expressing no opinion.
There was also a large majority agreeing with the statement “I want to see referendums on Irish unity by the end of the decade”, with 57 per cent agreeing and 25 per cent disagreeing, with 17 per cent undecided.
However, an overwhelming majority say they are not prepared to consider changes in the Republic “such as changing the flag and anthem and joining the Commonwealth” which might make the prospect of unity “more acceptable to unionists”. Seventy per cent disagreed, with 17 agreeing and 13 per cent undecided.
On the costs of unity, 64 per cent agree they are concerned, with 22 per cent not concerned, and 14 per cent undecided.
Sinn Féin and others have said they want to see unity referendums held North and South by 2030, and have pressed the Government to prepare for the prospect of unity. However, polls show consistently that there is no likely majority for unity in Northern Ireland.
The poll also asked about attitudes to immigration and a small majority of voters see it as a positive. Asked “in general, has immigration been a positive for Ireland, or a negative for Ireland”, 43 per cent said they viewed it as a positive, 39 per cent as a negative and 11 per cent saying it made no difference, with 6 per cent expressing no opinion.
Only among supporters of Sinn Féin is there a majority expressing a view that immigration has not been a positive, with 49 per cent saying it is, on balance, a negative versus just 31 per cent who say it is a positive.
However, there is an overwhelming majority in favour of a tougher immigration regime. Asked if they would you like to see “tougher enforcement of existing regulations, including deportations of people who not have permission to stay in Ireland”, more than eight in 10 voters (81 per cent) agreed and 13 per cent disagreed. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin supporters were most in favour of a tougher approach.
The poll was conducted among a representative sample of adults aged 18 years and upwards across 120 sampling points throughout all constituencies.
Unlike most other opinion polls, The Irish Times/Ipsos B&A series is conducted through face-to-face sampling. Personal in-home interviewing took place on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd of September. There were 1,200 interviews conducted and the accuracy is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent.
