New research reveals three out of four Irish people support Government spending on overseas aid, but climate change is down in the list of priorities and understanding of sustainable development goals (SDGs) is low.
The Worldview research – published Irish charities network Dóchas – showed that 76% agree it is important to provide overseas aid, with 29% in favour of increasing the level of spending.
On climate change, the research found that 14% of the Irish public believe climate change will impact them a great deal, while 59% say it is a problem for future generations, and 51% say it is a problem for developing countries in the global south.
When it comes to responsibility for climate change, 43% of respondents believe it is a matter for ‘other’ people in Ireland apart from themselves. 40% said it is the responsibility of the Government and only 17% said it is their personal responsibility.
War, conflict, and terrorism top people’s concerns at 51% (up 8% on 2022); followed by economic crises, job security and wages (down 9%) and climate change, the environment and biodiversity (down 5%).