PANA-RED C OPINION POLL ON IRISH NEUTRALITY AND INTERNATIONAL SITUATION SEPTEMBER 2013: Irish people support a policy of neutrality and not sending military supplies to anti-government groups in Syria:
Peace and Neutrality Alliance PRESS RELEASE
PANA-RED C OPINION POLL ON IRISH NEUTRALITY AND INTERNATIONAL SITUATION
SEPTEMBER 2013:
Irish people support a policy of neutrality and not sending military supplies to anti-government groups in Syria:
Red C poll commissioned by the Peace & Neutrality Alliance shows:
1. 78% of the Irish people support a policy of Irish Neutrality
2. 67% of the Irish people are opposed to Ireland & the EU sending arms and military supplies to anti-government groups in Syria
3. 61% of the Irish people are opposed to sending Irish troops to Syria
4. 79% of the Irish people do not support a war on Syria without a UN mandate
ALMOST EIGHTY PER CENT of Irish people say the Government should not support military intervention in Syria without a UN mandate according to a new poll.
The poll carried out by Red C polling organisation was commissioned by the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) and also showed that an almost identical number of Irish adults believe that Ireland should have a policy of neutrality.
The 1,000 respondents were given a number of different options as to what extent they agreed with a variety of statements with Red C using the information to gauge sentiment.
Neutrality
When asked whether ‘Ireland should have a policy of neutrality’ there was 78 per cent agreement. 61 per cent said that Irish troops should not now be sent to Syria.
Support for Neutrality was strongest in the 18-34 age group = 85%. General support for neutrality has increased since a previous poll which registered 69%.
PANA Chairman Roger Cole said that the poll results show that support for neutrality is now “deepening rather than weakening.” “Irish people fought in the national war of independence against an empire. And one of the consequences of that was that we don’t want to become part of a military alliance – we don’t want to get involved in other people’s wars,” he said.
“We’re a small country – we should get a grip on what the real world is, and in the real world small countries shouldn’t get involved in other people’s wars.” “Approximately 8 in 10 Irish people are now in favour of neutrality which is roughly the same number of people who believe Ireland should not support a war on Syria without a UN mandate. This Syrian conflict has displaced millions with the UN describing it as the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly twenty years,” he said.
PANA has campaigned for the right of the Irish people to have a foreign policy with a commitment to Irish neutrality at its core. This poll shows that we have the support of the massive majority of the Irish people. It shows that like the people of the USA and the UK they are tired and fed up with the doctrine of perpetual war on offer from the political leaders of the UK, the USA and France” Mr Cole stated.
Press inquiries/ Fiosrúcháin: Roger Cole, Chairperson, PANA, 353872611597
Seamas Ratigan, P.R.O., PANA, 353868369793