Decline in morality and rise in crime the biggest changes

A decline in moral standards and an increase in crime are among the most significant changes in Irish society which people over 50 say they have witnessed during their lifetimes, according to a special Irish Times/TNSmrbi opinion poll.

When asked to outline the most significant changes in their lives, respondents also provide positive and negative examples of the effects of increasing prosperity on people's lives.

While a decline in moral standards and an increase in crime top the list at 13 per cent, these are followed by people becoming better off (12 per cent), too much immigration (10 per cent), a perceived decline in the Catholic Church (9 per cent), people with too much money (8 per cent), improved technology (8 per cent), better quality of life (6 per cent) and higher cost of living (6 per cent).

Many changes considered to be of political importance do not rate highly among the over-50s, such as the price of property (4 per cent), the increase in traffic (4 per cent) and a poorer health service (2 per cent).

The poll results also reveal considerable differences in outlook on various changes to society depending on the age of the respondents.

Older people, for example, are more likely to be positive about the effects of wealth on society. While 2 per cent of the 50-54 age group say that there has been an improvement in people's quality of life, this rose to 8 per cent among the 65-69 age group.

Similarly, while 11 per cent of those in their 50s say that people are better off, this rises to 14 per cent among the over-70s.

The level of immigration into Ireland appears to be a matter of more concern for younger respondents. The highest proportion of people who feel there is too much immigration are in the 50-54 age group (16 per cent).

Significant age-based differences are also apparent in the numbers who cite the decline of the Catholic Church as a major change in society. While 8 per cent of those in their 50s say that this is a major change, the figure rises to 12 per cent among the over-70s.

When asked what political party they would give their first preference vote to, Fianna Fáil is the most popular (31 per cent), followed by Fine Gael (17 per cent), Labour (8 per cent), Independents (6 per cent), Sinn Féin (4 per cent), Green Party (2 per cent), PDs (1 per cent). A total of 30 per cent did not know or refused to say.

The proportion of people supporting Fine Gael rises dramatically among older age groups, increasing from 17 per cent among the 50-54 age group to 32 per cent among the over-70s. Conversely, the proportion of people supporting the Green Party decreases with age, falling from 6 per cent among the 50-54 age group to 1 per cent among the over-70s. A similar pattern is apparent among Sinn Féin supporters.

Support for Fianna Fáil remains reasonably steady throughout all the 50-plus group.