Fianna Fáil's two sitting TDs in Galway West have increased their first preference voting share in an opinion poll published on TG4 television station last night.
If a general election had been held earlier this month both TDs - Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív and Minister of State for Justice Frank Fahey - would have polled better than in the 2002, the poll found.
Mr Ó Cuív would have polled 24 per cent of first preferences in the constituency, compared to 20 per cent in 2002, and Mr Fahey would have polled 17 per cent, compared to 15 per cent four years ago, the poll found.
The TNS/mrbi survey was conducted among 500 respondents at 50 different sampling points in Galway West between October 2nd and 14th.
Labour Party president Michael D Higgins would have held his 11 per cent first preference share, while both Fine Gael and the Progressive Democrats would have performed less satisfactorily.
Fine Gael's current TD, Pádraic McCormack, is retiring and two party colleagues are running.
Noel Grealish TD (PD) would have taken 9 per cent of first preferences, compared to 6 per cent in 2002.
Green Party candidate and current mayor, Niall Ó Brolcháin, councillor Brian Walsh (FG) and councillor Michael Crowe (FF) would need to increase their first-preference vote to have any chance, as would Independent and former Labour councillor Catherine Connolly.
Fine Gael councillors Fidelma Healy Eames and SeáKyne would not do so well.
Sinn Féin's two candidates would have been eliminated early with low first preferences and limited transfers from Fianna Fáil.
The poll notes that Fianna Fáil's performance in Galway West echoes that in the recent TNS/mrbi national poll for The Irish Times. It found that Mr Grealish and Mr McCormack scored lowest in terms of electorate satisfaction, while Labour's Mr Higgins scored highest with a 53 per cent satisfaction rating, followed by Mr Ó Cuív at 52 per cent and Mr Fahey at 50 per cent.
Health and hospitals are the main issues of concern among the electorate, the poll found, followed by cost of living and crime.
