An overwhelming majority of the electorate are unsure of how they will vote in the upcoming referendum on the EU Constitution, according to the latest Eurobarometer opinion poll.
Prof Richard Sinnott of UCD
Some 67 per cent of Irish respondents said they did not yet know how they would vote on the proposed treaty, while 28 per cent said they were in favour of it, with 5 per cent against.
The results, published today, rank Ireland fourth lowest among EU states in terms of support for the Constitution - alongside countries like Britain and Sweden.
But unlike Britain and Sweden the poll shows a very low level of opposition to the treaty in Ireland.
The barometer reveals that almost half the electorate - some 45 per cent - either "had not heard of" or "know very little" about the Constitution.
Professor Richard Sinnott of UCD, who conducted the analysis, said that there is a close relationship between knowledge and positive responses.
Professot Sinnott said: "It is clear that the higher the level of knowledge the greater the support for the Constitution."
He said: "The overall lesson of the Irish referendums on the Nice Treaty is the need for elites to inform and engage with their citizens."
"Favourable attitudes to the European Union cannot be taken for granted as indicating a willingness to participate in a referendum or to vote."
Professor Sinnott warned: "Failure to engage people, to communicate with them and to mobilise them to vote may have serious consequences for the ratification process".
A number of countries, including Ireland, are due to hold a referendum on the Constitution. The first of these will take place in Spain next Sunday.
