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Snapshot poll: What the public say

‘Letting too many people into the country and [we] cannot house our own people — wrong direction’

A woman drops her vote into the ballot box during the vote on the European Union's fiscal treaty referendum at a Polling Station in Dublin, Ireland, on Thursday, May 31, 2012. The Irish vote on the European Union's latest treaty today, with polls indicating they will endorse measures designed to ease the euro region's debt crisis. Photographer: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg
Despite a bounce for the Coalition parties in the recent Local and European elections, voters remain unconvinced about policy on immigration and housing. Photograph: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg
Pat Leahy
Mon Jun 24 2024 - 06:00

We asked voters about the Government’s performance in the latest monthly Snapshot poll by Ipsos for The Irish Times.

The research seeks to gauge what voters are noticing about what the Government is doing and whether that pushes the Republic, generally, in the right or wrong direction.

Here is a selection of what they said in their own words:

  • Emphasis on environment and biodiversity is good, bad not providing for children with special needs;
  • I work in the environmental sector: An oil spill recently and the response to it was quite poor, as it has been in the past. The environment would worry me and make me feel like we’re not heading in a right enough direction. The healthcare and housing approach is also worrying;
  • The new cycle lanes/public transport fares being reduced are particularly for young adults — the right direction;
  • Too many wind farms — the wrong direction;
  • Taoiseach Simon Harris is making a difference when it comes to managing immigration, which is important. I have no issues with immigrants, the situation just needs to be managed properly;
  • Right direction on taking in immigrants — we need diversity;
  • Immigrant situation — things are going in the wrong direction;
  • The whole thing with immigration makes me think it’s going in the wrong direction. With the amount of young people leaving the country is also bad, we are losing our future workforce;
  • Letting too many people into the country and [we] cannot house our own people — wrong direction;
  • The housing [problem], particularly in Dublin, [is] still going the wrong way;
  • Personal experience with [the] health system with waiting times and access to general healthcare — going in the wrong direction;
  • Social and affordable housing seems to be the only form of housing that is being built. Housing for people who can afford better houses is not available;
  • Planning permission has to be stepped up. Landowners sitting on land. Permission is taking too long;
  • Still living in my home house — the housing crisis for this generation is awful;
  • Housing is going in the wrong direction: I live in Dún Laoghaire, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to live in the area [where] I was born; same with all my friends. Three of my best friends left for Canada this morning! Emigration of young people is sad, but never actually addressed by [the] Government;
  • On the housing list waiting for ages even though I’m homeless — wrong direction. They give houses to people who don’t need them;
  • No changes in annual incomes for nurses in [the] last four years — wrong direction. Healthcare understaffed and underpaid;
  • Security in Dublin is bad — wrong direction;
  • Recognising Palestine as a state is a good thing. However from a housing point of view, this is the Government going in the wrong direction as they are not dealing with it fast enough.
Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy is Political Editor of The Irish Times