The survey, carried out solely south of the border, found that 73 per cent of respondents agree on the importance of equivalence, while 67 per cent agree more needs to be done to harmonise protections across the island.

Before Brexit, many EU laws were automatically applicable in Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and Ireland. This helped ensure alignment of equality and human rights laws across the island of Ireland.

While the previous UK government made a commitment, in Article 2 of the Windsor Framework, that certain equality rights protections in place in Northern Ireland will not be reduced now that the UK has left the EU, there is concern that not all of Northern Ireland’s equality rights laws will keep pace with future EU equality law changes.

Around one in five respondents to the poll believe their rights have been reduced as a result of Brexit.

There are differing opinions between younger and older generations, with those aged 25-34 years most likely to express a concern that their rights have been reduced, while those aged 65 years and over are most likely to think their rights have been unaffected.

Over one in three overall are concerned their rights may be affected in the future.

Commissioner Dr Lucy Michael said: “Equality and human rights protections are central to the Good Friday Agreement and peace on our island.

“Our poll shows that people in Ireland recognise this, with most believing we need to do more to ensure an equivalence of equality and human rights protections across the island.

“Given this strong support for action, we reiterate our recommendation that the Irish government, NI Executive, and UK government work to enhance and harmonise equality and human rights protections on the island of Ireland, aligned to their respective remits, and make a clear commitment to working towards ensuring North-South equivalence of rights on the island of Ireland so as to strengthen protections.

“Meanwhile, we continue to work together with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in discharging our mandates to promote and protect human rights and equality for everyone on the island of Ireland.”