Poll shows Government approval rating up by 9%

Voter satisfaction with the Government has risen by nine per cent since last October, according to a new

Irish Times

/TNS mrbi poll.

The poll shows Government satisfaction stands at 52 per cent, the highest level since May 2002 and up 17 per cent since the local and European elections last summer.

The Taoiseach's personal rating is now 60 per cent, up seven points since the last poll. Some 33 per cent of people are dissatisfied with Mr Ahern, while 7 per cent have no opinion.

The survey shows 38 per cent of people say they would give Fianna Fáil their first preference vote if there was an election tomorrow, an increase of 3 per cent.

Twenty-two per cent favour Fine Gael (-2) and an unchanged 13 per cent support the Labour Party. Sinn Fein secured 11 per cent of voters (-1), the Progressive Democrats are on 4 per cent (+1) and the Green Party support remains unchanged at 4 per cent. Others were down 2 points at 8 per cent.

Among party leaders, the Sinn Féin leader, Mr Gerry Adams, fared worst, with his personal approval rating falling by 9 points since last October to 42 per cent. Among those questioned, 38 per cent said they were dissatisfied with Mr Adams.

The poll was taken before the official Provisional IRA denial of involvement in the Belfast bank raid and party chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin's comments on the murder of Jean McConville.

The Tánaiste, Ms Mary Harney, retains her satisfaction rating of 54 per cent, while Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny is on 44 per cent (-2), Labour's Mr Pat Rabbitte is unchanged at 49 per cent and the Green Party's Mr Trevor Sergent's rating slips by 2 per cent to 33.

The Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll was taken last Monday and Tuesday among 1,000 voters throughout every constituency in the State.