The first gender poll of the Irish public shows a majority in favour of single-sex spaces, services and sports but also reveals substantial support for transgender expression.

The Countess, a women's group campaigning for single-sex safe spaces in the Republic of Ireland, commissioned the RedC Research poll in June.

It questioned a representative sample of 1,001 adults on a range of gender-related issues.

The poll found that over three quarters (77 per cent) of respondents agreed that people should have the right to request that intimate medical examinations are carried out by a person of the same birth sex.

A further 62 per cent said public buildings such as schools and banks should have to provide single-sex toilets.

A similar proportion (64 per cent) agreed that hospitals should be required to provide single-sex wards.

Over half (55 per cent) said males who identify as women should not be allowed to compete in women's sports at any level, versus only a fifth (21 per cent) in favour.

The Countess said: "This is the first time the public has been given a say on gender self-identification. When the government passed the Gender Recognition Act in 2015 it did so with little thought of the effect it would have on the wider community, let alone consultation with groups that would be most affected, particularly women."

According to other findings in the poll, fewer than one in five (17 per cent) respondents agreed with the law as it currently stands that a person should be allowed to change their birth certificate as soon as they self-identify as the opposite sex.

A third (34 per cent) thought it should be permitted once a person has partially or fully transitioned through hormone treatment and/or genital surgery.

Over a quarter (28 per cent) of people said individuals should not be allowed to change sex on their birth certificate at all.

"Males, no matter how they identify, should not have access to women's spaces, services and sports, and this shows that the majority of people in Ireland agree," the Countess said.

The group says it is "encouraged that the Irish public values the safety, privacy and dignity of women and girls. This is about what is fair".

The results also show that "while half of adults believe that people should have the right to change their sex on their birth certificate, most of them feel this should only be permitted once some action has been taken towards gender reassignment via hormones or surgery", the group says.

It added, "The survey provides clear evidence that Irish law is out of step with public opinion."