Public opinion has swung dramatically in favour of the Government's decision to allow US warplanes land at Shannon Airport during the Iraq war, according to an opinion poll to be published in The Irish Timestomorrow.
The Irish Times/TNS mrbi survey found 51 per cent of those questioned approved of the Government's decision to allow planes carrying US soldiers and their personal weapons to land at Shannon during the war.
Thirty nine per cent said they disapproved of the decision, while 10 per cent had no opinion.
In a similar poll before the outbreak of conflict in February, 68 per cent of voters said they would disapprove of allowing US troops use Shannon in the absence of UN backing. Twenty one per cent at the time said they approved, while 11 per cent said they did not know.
The latest poll was conducted among a national quota sample of 1,000 voters at 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies in the State
When asked if Ireland's status as a neutral country was changed by the decision to to allow US soldiers land at Shannon, 37 per cent of voters said they believed it was. Fifty two per cent said the decision did not change Ireland's neutral status, while 11 per cent had no opinion.