Sir, – While we know humans suffer from cognitive flaws that lead to systematic biases in our behaviour and perceptions, I'm not sure your article "Public opinion is one thing, facts are another" (Front page, November 30th) tells us as much about Irish people's biases as you make out.
Some of the “facts” that you cite, such as what the top 10 percent of people earn, are based on measures that could themselves be flawed. Just because a government collects the data doesn’t mean the data are right. The Revenue Commissioners’ figures are obviously based on figures for declared income. Then their figure could be an underestimate of the actual figure.
Similarly the United Nations Human Development Index is a composite measure which weighs some aspects of life more than others. These choices are subjective and make a big difference to a country’s position in the rankings. Perhaps the survey respondents have a better idea of what matters than the UN.
There are also flaws with some of the questions. The question on who receives most from the public purse, welfare recipients, public servants or politicians, is vague and could be thought to mean which group is most financially rewarded.
Facts are one thing, people’s opinions might matter more. – Yours, etc,
Dr EOIN O’MALLEY,
School of Law and
Government,
Dublin City University,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – Congratulations on a terrific survey (Irish Times Ipsos MRBI survey, Front page & Weekend Review, November 30th). It brought reality to the situation in Ireland. However the media, both published and broadcast, must take responsibility as to why perception is so different.
Negative headlines in newspapers, including the paper of record, and negative comments on phone-in radio shows focus mistakenly on what a terrible place we live in.
I think it is now time to take cognisance of the survey and for it to be reflected in reporting and opinion pieces. – Yours, etc,
TIM RYAN,
Chestnut Grove,
Dunboyne, Co Meath.
Sir, – Even a casual glance at the Irish Times Ipsos MRBI poll results shows that questions can be as biased as answers. Why ask what percentage of the State revenue is spent on politicians' salaries? Or what income you need to be in the top 10 per cent? Or that people estimate the number of non-nationals in the country?
Why not ask me to estimate what percentage of the population earn the equivalent of a politician’s salary? Or indeed, how many earn €100,000-plus and how much income tax revenue they contribute as a percentage of total income tax revenue? Or what percentage of the poorer working-class areas (in both city and country) are non-national? Then tell me the correct answers. – Yours, etc,
AONGHUS FALLON,
Manor Kilbride,
Blessington,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Stephen Collins (Front page, November 30th) observes, “The fact is that welfare payments will account for over €20 billion of State spending this year while the cost of running the Oireachtas is €102 million.” The question is only correctly answered by following the money.
The facts will show that the money received by each member of the Oireachtas is a significant multiple of any welfare payment and the average industrial wage. – Yours, etc,
T MURPHY,
Shamrock Drive,
Muskerry Estate,
Ballincollig, Co Cork.
Sir, – Congratulations on your Weekend Review article (Stephen Collins) comparing public opinion with factual information on many topics that are centrally important to our society and on the insightful accompanying article by Maureen Gaffney. Perhaps those could be followed at some stage by an international or European comparison of wealth distribution, salaries of top executives and politicians, government spending and other topics. – Yours, etc,
ED Mc HALE,
Farmleigh Woods,
Castleknock, Dublin 15.
Sir, – Your Ipsos MRBI poll findings (Front page & Weekend Review, November 30th) reveal an extraordinary level of misinformation on important issues among the general population. It suggests an urgent need to hold the media to account. – Yours, etc,
PETER MOLLOY,
Haddington Park,
Glenageary, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Respondents to the Ipsos MRBI poll suggested that a person would need to have an income of €153,000 a year to be in the top 10 per cent of the population whereas graphics in your paper suggested that, based on Revenue data, the correct figure is €75,000.
You are both wrong, as the Revenue statistics relate to tax cases which treat dual-income married couples as single cases. If we assume that incomes in these cases are split 66/34 then only about 6 per cent of the population have incomes in excess of €75,000. Incidentally, on the same basis, almost 16 per cent have incomes below €10,000 a year.
In responding to the question as to whether welfare recipients, public servants or politicians receive most from the public purse, respondents guessed politicians whereas your graphics indicate that the correct answer is welfare recipients at €20 billion as compared with only €102 million for politicians. On a per capita basis, the respondents were absolutely correct. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN FLANAGAN,
Ardmeen Park,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – While I do believe that most of the findings in the Ipsos MRBI poll (Weekend Review, November 30th) provide a reasonably accurate depiction of the Irish people’s disillusionment regarding political and social matters, I question the authenticity of the percentages, which you reported as being “correct” relating to religious issues. For many years, there has been an open debate regarding what qualifies an individual as being “Catholic” or “atheist” when completing the census. While the percentage stated in your newspaper may be an accurate reflection of the Central Statistics Office’s findings, many individuals identify themselves as belonging to a religious group despite not adhering to or even believing its doctrine. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL BRUTON,
Park Drive,
Ranelagh, Dublin 6.