Finding a job is relatively easy in Dublin, but finding somewhere to live is a headache.
These are two of the conclusions in a new EU survey on public perception of the quality of life enjoyed in 75 of Europe's cities.
The survey provides a mixed view of life in Dublin, with locals praising some aspects of life, such as access to jobs and schooling, but criticising the poor standard of housing and health services.
Dublin is ranked the third best city in which to find a good job in Europe, but comes 73rd in the list of places to find good housing at a reasonable price.
Two-thirds of Dubliners say it is easy to find a good job, with only citizens of Prague and Copenhagen more optimistic about employment opportunities. Palermo in Italy remains the EU's jobs black spot, with just 2 per cent saying it is easy to find a job.
Asked if it was easy to find good housing at reasonable prices, 94 per cent of Dubliners disagreed. Only Paris and Luxembourg scored below Dublin, with just 3 per cent of Parisians and 5 per cent of Luxemburgers happy with availability of housing.
The poor state of the health service is another major concern for Dubliners. The survey shows that 52 per cent of the public is either "not at all satisfied" or "rather unsatisfied" with the healthcare services offered by hospitals in the Dublin region.
This ranks Dublin 64th in Europe, ahead of the bottom ranked city Bucharest and other poor healthcare performers such as Palermo in Italy and Warsaw in Poland.
However, two-thirds of Dubliners say they are satisfied with the quality of schooling in the city, which is one of the best results in Europe. In Belfast satisfaction rates are even higher, with 78 per cent of the public either very satisfied or rather satisfied.
Just 31 per cent of Dubliners say the "city is clean", while 69 per cent of people disagree with this statement. However most people feel safe in Dublin, with just 14 per cent of local people surveyed reporting that they "never" or "rarely" feel safe.
Some 57 per cent of Dubliners think that foreigners are well integrated in the city, while 38 per cent disagree. The Swedish cities of Stockholm and Malmo report the highest levels of dissatisfaction with the integration of foreigners. Just 13 per cent and 12 per cent of inhabitants of these cities think that foreigners are integrating well.
Overall more than three-quarters of the people surveyed in the 75 cities said they were satisfied with their quality of life. Dublin was ranked 35th in the survey, with 71 per cent of people strongly agreeing that they were "satisfied" to live in the city.
The survey was conducted by Gallup Hungary on behalf of the European Commission. It consisted of 500 telephone interviews, with 23 questions posed to each person.
Meanwhile, Irish people remain addicted to the motor car while other Europeans prefer to use public transport, a new Eurobarometer survey shows.
The motor car is the main mode of transport for 69 per cent of Irish people, with just 14 per cent of people surveyed saying they usually use public transport to get around. Just 2 per cent of people generally use bicycles, while 12 per cent of the public say they tend to walk. Only the Cypriots (88 per cent) and French (69 per cent) are more addicted to their cars.