Research by the European Commission shows 56pc of Irish voters said rising prices and living costs were the main issue driving their voting decision compared to the EU average of 42pc.

Housing was the second biggest topic in motivating Irish people to vote, with 44pc citing the issue as a reason – in contrast to just 10pc of all EU voters.

Migration came next, with 39pc of Irish respondents claiming it was a reason why they voted, 11 percentage points above the EU average.

Although migration was the third biggest issue for Irish voters, it was ranked joint fifth place with climate change by all EU citizens after rising prices, the economic situation, the international situation and democracy and the rule of law.

The Eurobarometer poll surveyed over 26,300 adults across the 27 EU member states, including more than 1,000 in Ireland.

The report revealed that 51pc of the Irish electorate turned out to vote in the European Parliament elections in June – the joint 11th highest rate, which matched the average turnout for voters across all 27 EU member states.

Voter turnout was highest in Belgium at 89pc and lowest in Croatia at 21pc.

The main reason cited by Irish citizens who chose not to vote in the European elections was because they were too busy or had no time, which was selected by 22pc, followed by not being interested in politics (16pc) and people who said they rarely or ever vote (15pc).

Asked what the main benefits of being a member of the EU are, 50pc of Irish voters said it was the contribution that the EU made to Ireland’s economic growth, with 39pc stating it helped to improve people’s standard of living and 37pc believing it brought people new work opportunities.

Irish people also confirmed their status as one of the strongest supporters of the EU, with 71pc saying it conjured up a positive impact for them – far higher than the EU average of 48pc.

Similarly, 63pc of Irish respondents said they held a favourable view on the European Parliament compared to the EU average of 42pc, which was still the highest positive rating ever recorded.

Irish people were also considerably more optimistic about the future of the EU than most other Europeans, with 84pc having a positive outlook on the union – compared to the EU average of 65pc.