Fine Gael is on course to lead the next Government, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll which also shows that Fianna Fáil has fallen to another record low.
Fine Gael has increased its lead over all the other parties since the last Irish Times poll in December and party leader Enda Kenny has seen a significant rise in his satisfaction rating.
The Labour Party, Sinn Féin and the Greens have all lost support since the last poll but there has been a significant increase in the number saying they will vote for Independents and Others.
When people were asked who they would vote for if there was a general election tomorrow, the figures for party support (when undecided voters are excluded) compared with the last Irish Times poll on December 15th were: Fianna Fáil, 15 per cent (down two points); Fine Gael, 33 per cent (up three points); Labour, 24 per cent (down one point); Sinn Féin, 12 per cent (down three points); Green Party, 1 per cent (down one point); and Independents/Others, 15 per cent (up four points).
The poll was taken on Monday and Tuesday of this week among a representative sample of 1,000 voters aged 18 and over, in face-to-face interviews at 100 sampling points in all 43 constituencies. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 per cent.
The core vote for the parties (before undecided voters are excluded) compared with the last Irish Times poll was: Fianna Fáil, 12 per cent (down one point); Fine Gael, 26 per cent (up three points); Labour, 19 per
cent (up one point); Sinn Féin, 11 per cent (down two points); Green Party, 1 per cent (no change); Independents/Others, 11 per cent (up two points); and undecided voters, 22 per cent (down three points).
Satisfaction with the way the Government is doing its job has dropped to a remarkably low 4 per cent (down one point) while the number expressing dissatisfaction is running at 95 per cent (up seven points).
Satisfaction with outgoing Taoiseach Brian Cowen is just 8 per cent (down six points). These are the lowest ratings achieved by a government or taoiseach since MRBI began polling for The Irish Times in the autumn of 1982 and the same is true of support for Fianna Fáil.
Enda Kenny's satisfaction rating has risen to 30 per cent (up seven points); Micheal Martin is on 25 per cent; Eamon Gilmore is on 44 per cent (no change); John Gormley, 15 per cent (up two points); and Gerry Adams, 27 per cent (down one).