32% of people would not take the first publicly available EU approved Covid-19 vaccine 

90% of teenagers said they value their family life more now 

57% of people said they are “re-evaluating what they are doing with their lives” 

Six months into the Covid crisis, RTÉ commissioned a national poll to understand and reflect how we feel as a people, how we see our future and priorities. Extensive results from RTÉ’s state of the nation survey will be revealed in The Next Normal, a special programme on RTÉ One tonight (Thursday 1st October) at 9.35pm.

The nationally representative survey, undertaken by Behaviours and Attitudes (B&A) on behalf of RTÉ, examined how people across the country have adapted since the start of the crisis. It asked people 12 years old and up about their outlook in areas such as mental and physical health, the economy, finances, family and going back to work and school.

A focus on mental health and a desire for change in our lives were strong themes that came out in the results of the survey. 57% of people said they are “re-evaluating what they are doing with their lives” since the pandemic took hold in March. And 33% of people said their mental health has suffered in the last six months.

The results also showed that some positives came out of the lockdown. 90% of teenagers said they value their family life more now than before.

Looking to the future, the survey asked people would they take the first publicly available EU approved vaccine for Covid-19. 56% said they would likely take the vaccine, 32% said they would be unlikely to take the vaccine and 12% said they didn’t know.

The Next Normal presented by Miriam O’Callaghan and Mark Coughlan will reveal the findings of the research tonight on RTÉ One. They will be joined for discussion and debate by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Special Envoy of WHO Director-General on Covid-19, David Nabarro, and the National Ploughing Association’s Anna May McHugh.

Watch: The Next Normal, 9.35pm tonight on RTÉ One. 

ENDS

For media enquiries contact: Sarah Neville, RTE Communications, sarah.neville@rte.ie 0879800561

Notes to Editor: 

The survey was a standalone survey conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes face-to-face, with a nationally representative sample of adults aged 12+ years.   The total sample was 1,345.

Interviewing was conducted door-to-door (face-to-face), in keeping with government guidelines.

The sample is quota controlled by gender within age and socio-economic status, all within a tight geographical urban, rural stratification.

To facilitate in-depth analysis booster samples were conducted with:

12-17 yrs (total sample 196). 

18-24 yrs (total sample 186). 

Non-Irish (born elsewhere) (Total sample 191). 

All boosters are weighted back in line with the latest Census figures to reflect their correct population proportions. 

A total sample (N=1,345) margin of error ± 2.7% 

The fieldwork for this study was conducted 1st – 14th September 2020.