Irish people have the second-highest rate of criticism regarding the lack of investment in their country’s defence and security among EU citizens, according to a new report from the European Commission.
The Eurobarometer poll found that 48 per cent of respondents said public spending on defence and security in Ireland is “not enough,” compared with an EU average of 34 per cent, reports Breaking News.
Only Portugal, at 50 per cent, recorded a higher level of dissatisfaction with national defence and security expenditure.
The survey also showed that 38 per cent of Irish citizens believe EU-level investment in similar measures is insufficient – again the second-highest rate after France (43 per cent) and above the EU average of 34 per cent, reports Breaking News.
Almost seven in ten Irish people think Ireland’s security is under threat amid current global political developments.
The report highlighted that 67 per cent of Irish respondents consider their country’s security to be at risk, including 23 per cent who strongly fear a threat to the state, reports Breaking News.
Concern about national security is widely shared across Europe, with 68 per cent of all EU citizens expressing similar worries.
In several member states, the proportion fearing a threat to their country exceeds 75 per cent, including France (80 per cent), the Netherlands (77 per cent), and Denmark (76 per cent), with above-average figures also seen in Germany (74 per cent), Lithuania (73 per cent), and Sweden (72 per cent), reports Breaking News.
Ireland’s 67 per cent level of concern ranks joint 11th in the EU alongside Poland.
The lowest levels of concern were reported in Slovenia, Croatia, and Czechia, although around half of citizens in those countries still view their national security as under threat, reports Breaking News.
The report noted that a quarter to a third of people in many countries strongly agreed with the view that their country’s security is at risk.
“Such a pronounced level of concern indicates that the sense of insecurity is not superficial but deeply rooted,” the report said, reports Breaking News.
It also highlighted that 46 per cent of Irish respondents felt their personal safety was at risk given the current international context.
The survey, conducted last month, assessed EU citizens’ perceptions of security threats, trust in the EU’s defence role, support for defence investment, and views on space programmes, reports Breaking News.
Around 27,300 people across the 27 EU member states were surveyed, including nearly 1,200 in Ireland.
The report noted that the survey took place amid heightened international uncertainty, including the war in Ukraine, rising tensions in the Middle East, and renewed global attention to political events in Venezuela and Greenland, reports Breaking News.
It found that perceptions of insecurity were widespread with little variation across age or gender.
The survey also revealed that 58 per cent of Irish respondents trust the EU’s ability to strengthen security and defence in Europe and better protect citizens, compared to the EU average of 52 per cent, reports Breaking News.
While trust in the EU’s security role is high in most member states, levels are comparatively lower in the union’s three largest countries – Germany, France, and Italy.
The report noted that smaller and medium-sized countries generally express the greatest confidence in the EU, reports Breaking News.
However, national threat perceptions and trust in the EU do not always align, as illustrated by France, which shows the highest perceived threat but the lowest trust in the EU.
The survey found that Irish people believe security and defence should be the top priority for future EU space policy (32 per cent), ahead of environmental and climate action (21 per cent) and safer mobility and transport (12 per cent), reports Breaking News.
Overall, while there is recognition in Ireland and across the EU of the economic impact of EU space programmes, their perceived effect on daily life remains limited.
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