"We are so lucky in Ireland to have such beautiful landscapes. We have some splendid rural areas, coastlines and fantastic fishing spots, all enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. These survey results show again that Irish people care about Ireland’s natural beauty and are more engaged on environmental issues than ever before,” said Ms Childers.
"They also overwhelmingly support eco-friendly products which will help our environment, even if it means a small increase in price. In these economic times, Irish people still are taking the long-term view. We know that our landscape, rivers, forests and coastline are well worth keeping pristine,” she said.
The survey showed that Irish people were quite concerned about water pollution, the impact on our health of chemicals used in everyday products, and the growing waste problem, and favoured heavier fines for offenders.
"I welcome also the fact that 2 in 3 Europeans say they have separated waste for recycling in the last month; that over half are trying to cut their energy consumption; that 4 in 10 are trying to use fewer disposable goods, and that greater numbers of Europeans are choosing more environmentally friendly forms of transport," said Ms Childers.
Ms Childers said that, as someone who works on the Environment Committee in the European Parliament, it was heartening for her to see that a huge 81 per cent of Irish people support EU legislation in the area.
“We know that protecting the environment in the long run will also boost economic growth and create local jobs,” she said. “This is what the EU is good at, and that is too often forgotten these days.”
