A big majority of people do not believe biological men who who identify as women should be allowed to compete in female sports, according to the latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll.

When asked if transgender women should be allowed to take part in sporting activities against other women, 68pc said no, with 17pc saying they should, while 15pc were unsure.
The figures reveal differences in attitudes among respondents, depending on age and political allegiance.

However, significantly more people agree than disagree with the statements that “a transgender man is a man” and “a transgender woman is a woman”.

When asked if they believed “a transgender man is a man”, that is, a person who is born female but identifies as a man, 48pc said they either strongly agreed or agreed, while 29pc either strongly disagreed or disagreed.

There was a similar response when respondents were asked if they believed the statement that “a transgender woman is a woman”.