There is solid backing for the Government’s offer to accept 4,000 refugees, but a significant minority of voters believe the number is too high, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.

Wealthier voters are most strongly in favour of accepting more refugees while poorer voters tend to say Ireland is taking too many or should not have offered to get involved.

When asked their views about the Government’s offer to settle 4,000 refugees or migrants in Ireland, in response to the crisis in the Mediterranean, 45 per cent said the number was just right, 16 per cent said it should have been more, 22 per cent said it was too many and 17 per cent said the offer should not have been made.

There was less support for the move in Dublin than any other region, but the most significant difference in opinion was across the social classes.

Among the wealthiest AB voters, 75 per cent said the number was just right or that the offer should have included more than 4,000 refugees.

Among the poorest DE voters, 50 per cent said the number was just right or should have been higher. The other 50 per cent said the offer should have involved fewer than 4,000 refugees, or should not have been made at all.

More generous

Those aged over 65 were most supportive of taking in 4,000 refugees while there was an even spread of opinion across other age categories.

Labour voters most strongly supported taking in refugees, with 43 per cent saying the offer was right and another 30 per cent saying it should have been more generous.

Among Fine Gael voters, 57 per cent said the offer was just right while another 17 per cent said it should have been more generous.

Sinn Féin voters were the least enthusiastic about the move, with 35 per cent saying the offer was right and 12 per cent saying it should have been more generous.

Fifty per cent of Fianna Fáil voters said the offer was right and 9 per cent said it should have been more generous.

The survey was undertaken this week among a representative sample of 1,200 voters in face-to-face interviews at 100 sampling points in all constituencies. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.8 per cent.