Solid majority favours neutrality

ALMOST seven out of 10 voters believe Ireland's traditional policy of neutrality should be maintained, according to the latest Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll published today. Only 20 per cent think the policy should be changed.

There is an apparent contradiction, however, in the views of the electorate on neutrality. A majority of 57 per cent are also in favour of coming to the defence of a fellow member of the European Union if attacked.

A majority of 77 per cent favour Ireland joining the NATO led Partnership for Peace programme for the purpose of engaging in joint peacekeeping exercises.

The White Paper on Foreign Policy, published earlier this year, committed the Government to exploring the possibility of becoming involved in the programme.

The poll findings are likely to encourage the Government to decide to join the PFP, which the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, said it is actively pursuing. They will also be read with interest on the day of the first European Council in Dublin during Ireland's EU Presidency.

EU heads of state and government and foreign ministers meet in Dublin today for the special summit designed to add momentum to the Union's Intergovernmental Conference, which is discussing reforms of the European Union treaties.

The poll on European issues was conducted among a national quota sample of 1,000 electors at 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies in the State on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week to mark the Irish presidency.

The main finding of the poll is that, despite recent discussion about Ireland's policy of neutrality, 69 per cent of voters think it should be maintained; 20 per cent believe it should be changed; and 11 per cent are undecided. There is also a further breakdown of these figures in this poll for the first time.

Of the 69 per cent who favour neutrality, some 62 per cent believe Ireland should decide on its own policy without reference to other EU states. While staying out of military alliances, one quarter, 6 per cent, of that 69 per cent think Ireland should agree a common foreign and defence policy with the other EU states. Some 12 per cent express no opinion.

Of the 20 per cent of voters who want the policy on neutrality changed, some 66 per cent believe Ireland should become a member of NATO. while 57 per cent believe that Ireland should join the Western European Union.

Despite the huge majority still in favour of neutrality, 57 per cent of respondents, with majorities among supporters of all parties, agree that all member states should be committed to come to the defence of another if one state is attacked. One quarter of voters opposed this idea and 18 per cent don't know. This contradictory finding emerges from questions on the institutional reform issues being considered by the InterGovernmental Conference of the EU.

A majority of 65 per cent of voters is in favour of increasing majority voting so that no one state can block decisions. There is close division on the proposal to limit the right of each state to be always represented on the European Commission, with 39 per cent in favour, 35 per cent against and 26 per cent undecided.