THE IRISH PUBLIC’s level of trust in our system of government is the lowest in the world. According to a global trust survey, Ireland ranked last of 23 countries surveyed.
Eight out of ten Irish people surveyed also said that they believed it was the Government’s job to pass legislation to make business behave responsibly.
The dire rating goes against the overall rate of global trust in government which increased to 52 per cent from last year. In Ireland, that rating is just 20 per cent. In 2009, that figure was 31 per cent and the new survey shows it has hit an all-time low
However, it’s not all bad news in the annual Edelman Trust Barometer 2011, the results of which have just been released to TheJournal.ie this afternoon. Trust in Irish business is on the rise – it has gone up 15 points from last year to 46 per cent. The technology sector is the most trusted industry in Ireland – at 75 per cent – but the banks are only trusted by 6 per cent of those surveyed.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are the most trusted institutions of all – 61 per cent of those surveyed worldwide trust them implicitly, while 53 per cent of Irish people do.
Mark Cahalane, MD of communications company Edelman Ireland, said that it is noteworthy that levels of trust in governments and banks is closely related across the globe, and not just in Ireland. He said:
A recovery in trust will require increased levels of transparency, a constant articulation of the actions being taken to rebuild confidence, as well as acceptance by those in positions of authority that full responsibility must be taken for the current crisis.
The good news for the technology sector is also shared by the food and beverage industry, which is trusted by 64 per cent of people surveyed in Ireland, while the motor and entertainment sectors are also enjoying high levels of consumer trust, at 61 per cent each.
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