Satisfaction with the Government, Taoiseach and Tanaiste, as well as core Fianna Fail support, are at their lowest since they took office as the Coalition continues to suffer from the O'Flaherty affair.
For just the second time since the Government was formed in July 1997, more voters are dissatisfied than satisfied with its performance. Some 46 per cent are dissatisfied with the way the Government is running the State, with 43 per cent satisfied.
Mr Ahern's rating has fallen to 55 per cent, down nine points since June, with 34 per cent dissatisfied with his performance. Some 42 per cent are satisfied with Ms Harney's performance - a drop of four points - with an equal number dissatisfied.
Fianna Fail's core support, at 34 per cent, is its lowest recorded in an Irish Times/MRBI poll in recent times. However, when the undecided voters are distributed proportionately, party support reaches 45 per cent, the same as in June. The apparent discrepancy is because the poll registered 25 per cent undecided, the highest proportion for over a decade.
The O'Flaherty affair appears to be the cause of the continued poor Coalition ratings, with the vast majority of voters believing it has damaged the Government. Some 77 per cent say it has done damage, including 78 per cent of Fianna Fail supporters and a staggering 95 per cent of Progressive Democrat voters.
The state of the parties, excluding the 25 per cent undecided, is: Fianna Fail 45 per cent, unchanged since the last Irish Times/MRBI poll in June; Fine Gael 22 per cent, up four percentage points; Labour 14 per cent, up one point; Progressive Democrats 3 per cent, down one point; Green Party 4 per cent, down one point; Sinn Fein 5 per cent, unchanged; and others 7 per cent, down three points.
The core support for the parties is: Fianna Fail 34 per cent, down two points in three months; Fine Gael 17 per cent, up three points; Labour 10 per cent, unchanged; Progressive Democrats 2 per cent, down one point; Green Party 3 per cent, down one point; Sinn Fein 4 per cent, unchanged; and others 5 per cent, down three points.
While Fine Gael has recovered some ground after a slump in June, there is little positive news for the opposition. Mr Ruairi Quinn's personal rating, at 46 per cent, is the lowest since he became Labour leader, while Mr John Bruton has risen one percentage point from a low 39 per cent in June.
The poll was conducted among a national quota sample of 1,000 voters at 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies between September 11th and September 22nd. The methodology differed somewhat from the normal procedure in that the political questions were posed at the end of a more extensive political research questionnaire.
According to a formula devised by MRBI from its opinion poll data to take account of recent overstatements of Fianna Fail support and the growing incidence of lower voter turnout, MRBI estimates that the actual result of a general election held during the sampling period would be: Fianna Fail 40 per cent; Fine Gael 24 per cent; Labour 17 per cent; Progressive Democrats 3 per cent; Green Party 4 per cent; Sinn Fein 5 per cent; Others 7 per cent.