ONE of the regular charges made by the most committed Brexit supporters is that Ireland will follow the UK out of the EU. Some have gone so far as to suggest Ireland could rejoin the UK.

Successive opinion polls have shown the Irish people comprehensively back remaining in the EU, no fewer than 84% in the most recent poll.

There has been no polling on how many Irish would supporting returning to the UK. I would venture it would not break single figures even though the majority are happy to work towards very cordial relations with our near neighbours, cognisant of our mural responsibilities to Northern Ireland.

The latest set of polling from Eurobarometer, released this week, provides a deeper analysis of the support of Irish people when it comes to a range of EU-related issues.

The first is a very topical one – freedom of movement. No less than 96% of Irish people are supportive of free movement, an issue the British Home Secretary, Priti Patel, underlined her delight in abolishing, despite the very obvious benefits it has provided many in and from the UK. The basic European freedom of the right to live, work, study and receive benefits in any other EU member state is key to the strength of the EU.

In 2005, with a fortnight’s notice, I moved to Belgium with no red tape, no waiting lists and no fuss.

I took a low-cost flight to Brussels and lived there for the next two years with all the rights I’d had at home, contributing enthusiastically to the local economy and community. Freedom of movement is one of the great achievements of the EU and it should be celebrated by all.

Some 93% of Irish people support the EU’s trade policy and why wouldn’t they? When Ireland joined the EEC in 1973, 60% of our exports went to the UK, but that is down to 11% now. Ireland has a rapidly growing trading relationship with countries such as Canada, Japan and South Korea thanks to EU trade deals.

As a small country of less than five million people, we would never have been able to negotiate access to these lucrative markets if it wasn’t for our membership of the EU, the world’s largest economic bloc. EU energy policy is supported by 86% of Irish people as we begin construction of the Celtic interconnector to import electricity straight from France. This will be key as we also address the climate emergency and further divest Irish energy resources away from fossil fuels.

Meanwhile, 79% of Irish people support EU migration policy, 70% EU foreign policy and 63% EU defence policy, a policy that reflects Ireland’s status as a neutral country like Sweden and Austria.

Finally, 58% of Irish people support further EU enlargement. This may of interest to our Celtic cousins in Scotland. We in the EU should be open to further enlargement – a stronger and wider EU will be good for the EU as a whole, opening opportunities to member states as well as to the wider European neighbourhood.

The European project has been good for Ireland. We have grown rapidly as a sovereign country within the EU. We are richer, healthier, more socially aware and crucially equal. If Brexit has taught us anything, it is that our EU membership is more important than ever.