Support for the Government, the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil has plunged to the lowest level since Mr Ahern became Taoiseach, according to the latest Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll.
The poll shows just 36 per cent of voters are satisfied with the Government, a drop of 25 percentage points since the last Irish Times/MRBI poll in May. Some 56 per cent are dissatisfied with the Coalition, with 8 per cent expressing no opinion.
The poll, taken as the Government faced sustained pressure over the post-election implementation of financial cutbacks, shows Mr Bertie Ahern's personal satisfaction rating falling 19 points to 51 per cent. Some 41 per cent are dissatisfied with his performance while 8 per cent have no opinion.
The state of the parties is: Fianna Fáil 34 per cent, down 7.5 percentage points since the general election in May; Fine Gael 23 per cent, up 0.5 points; Labour 14 per cent, up 3 points; Sinn Féin 9 per cent, up 2.5 per cent; Green Party 8 per cent, up four points; Progressive Democrats 5 per cent, up one point; Others 7 per cent, down four points.
These findings are based on a party weighting system devised to take account of lower voter turnout in recent elections. The comparison is made with the general election result rather than the last Irish Times/MRBI poll in May, as that poll was taken using a simulated ballot paper and is not directly comparable.
The core support for the parties is: Fianna Fáil 32 per cent, down 7 points since the last directly comparable poll in February this year; Fine Gael 18 per cent, up 3 points; Labour 10 per cent, up two points; Sinn Féin 7 per cent, up one point; Green Party 6 per cent, up 2 points; Progressive Democrats 4 per cent, up two points; Others 6 per cent, down 2 points. Some 18 per cent were undecided, up one point.
No one party has benefited substantially from the Fianna Fáil slump, with the support drifting evenly to all opposition parties. However, the Progressive Democrats have escaped the public discontent, their support rising by one point, while their leader Ms Mary Harney's personal satisfaction rating remains stable at 57 per cent.
While Fine Gael has had a modest recovery, it will be disappointed that its new leader Mr Enda Kenny receives a personal satisfaction rating of just 28 per cent - three points lower than former leader Mr Michael Noonan before the May election.
However, just 21 per cent say they are dissatisfied with him. More than half of voters - 51 per cent - have no opinion, reflecting the short time Mr Kenny has spent in his post.
The rating of the Labour party leader Mr Ruairí Quinn was not tested in this poll as he is to retire from his position on October 25th. The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, has seen his personal satisfaction rise 5 points to 40 per cent, while the Sinn Féin leader, Mr Gerry Adams, has a personal rating of 54 per cent, up 3 points.