43% of Irish people do not believe that their views are represented at an EU level, according to a recent survey.

A further 26% are dissatisfied with the bloc’s direction, as seen in the annual European Movement Ireland poll, which was conducted with Amárach research.

This marks the lowest level of support for the EU seen among the Irish public since polling began in 2013.

Fine Gael MEP for Dublin Regina Doherty told Newstalk Breakfast that while the country is still very lucky to have such a high level of support, “we would be foolish if we didn’t address some of the issues”.

“When you look at the two issues that people think are our strongest point and our weakest point, they’re probably the two topics that have been in the Irish media - and particularly on social media - for the last 12 months,” she said.

“Trade, particularly since the new regime in the US, and migration as a weakness - we’ve been talking about it since before the election last year.

“So, those two topics are very, very well-known and being associated with the EU for both a positive thing and a negative thing.

“But I think people feel disconnected from the work that we do here, and that has to be our fault.”

Ms Doherty said “we need to get smarter” about bringing the work of the EU to the public’s attention through social media.

2CD7084 Group friends using mobile smartphone outdoor - Millennial young people having fun with new social media technology

However, former senior Irish diplomat Ray Bassett disagreed, and said he sees the issue as stemming from a trend of “disillusionment” with the “Brussels-down model”.

“I think what we’re seeing right across Europe is a desire for people to control more of their own lives locally,” he said.

“So, the idea that you would transfer everything to Brussels and Brussels would become more and more important, I think all the elections have recently shown that that’s not a model people want.”

EU Migration pact

Referring to the EU migration pact, Mr Bassett said “every one of those issues we could have put in place ourselves”.

“Immigration and migration policy should reflect local conditions,” he said.

“It shouldn’t be something that’s handed down by the Commission, which is a non-elected body in Brussels, and telling you what to do.”

Ms Doherty said in a statement after the show that the EU migration pact was not handed down by the Commission.

She stated that it was negotiated by all EU members, with Helen McEntee at the table for Ireland at the time.

Main image: The Irish Tricolour and flag of the European Union are seen in Brussels, Belgium in October 2018. Picture by: ALEXANDROS MICHAILIDIS / Alamy Stock Photo