Public approval of the Taoiseach, the Government, and Fianna Fail has fallen to its lowest levels since the 1997 general election, according to the latest Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll. The poll shows that 71 per cent of voters are dissatisfied with the Government's handling of the Philip Sheedy case, while just 11 per cent believe the public has been fully informed of what happened in the affair.
The Taoiseach's satisfaction rating has fallen to 58 per cent, down 12 percentage points since February and continuing a downward trend from a high of 84 per cent in April 1998. Satisfaction with the Government is down one point to 51 per cent since February.
Fianna Fail's support at 46 per cent has fallen two points since February. However, this represents a substantial drop from the 56 per cent figure of last October and 57 per cent in April 1998.
The main Opposition party, Fine Gael, has not capitalised on the Government's fall in approval. Its support, at 24 per cent, is down a point since February.
However, Labour and the Progressive Democrats have seen increases in support. Labour's figure, 15 per cent - up one point since February - is its highest since before the June 1997 general election. In Dublin, at 22 per cent, it is five points ahead of Fine Gael and its 19 per cent rating of in all urban areas matches Fine Gael's.
The minor Coalition party, the Progressive Democrats, has gained a point since February and stands at 5 per cent - a rise from a low of 2 per cent last October.
In the wake of the fall in satisfaction with Mr Ahern, the PD leader Ms Harney at 63 per cent now has the highest satisfaction rating of the main party leaders. The level of satisfaction with the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, remains unchanged at 55 per cent, while Mr John Bruton's satisfaction rating has fallen by one point to 46 per cent.
The state of the parties when the 18 per cent undecideds are excluded is: Fianna Fail 46 per cent, down two percentage points since the last Irish Times/MRBI poll in February; Fine Gael 24 per cent, down one point; Labour 15 per cent, up one point; PDs 5 per cent, up one point; Green Party 2 per cent, down one point; Sinn Fein 3 per cent up one point; and Others 5 per cent, up one point.
The poll shows small drops in core support for both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael since February's poll. The core support figures are: Fianna Fail 38 per cent down one point; Fine Gael 19 per cent, down one point; Labour 13 per cent up two points; PDs 4 per cent, up one point; Green Party 2 per cent, down one point; Sinn Fein 2 per cent, unchanged; Others 4 per cent, unchanged. Eighteen per cent said they were undecided.
The poll was conducted among a State-wide quota sample of 1,000 electors at 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies last Monday. It comes amid continuing political controversy surrounding the Sheedy case. It was also conducted just days after controversy erupted over the discrepancies in the accounts of the Taoiseach's investigation into allegations against Mr Ray Burke.
While 71 per cent of those polled were dissatisfied with Government handling of the Sheedy affair, the level of dissatisfaction among Fianna Fail supporters, at 62 per cent, is notable.
The steady fall in Mr Ahern's approval rating to 58 per cent in the past year has brought him down from the extraordinarily high levels he achieved in the wake of the signing of the Belfast Agreement last April. For the first time since the formation of the Government in June 1997, he has been overtaken - by Ms Harney - as the political leader with the highest rating.
The level of dissatisfaction with Mr Ahern is at its highest in Dublin, at 40 per cent.
Despite falling satisfaction with the Government, 55 per cent said they believed the Government would survive until the end of this year, while 29 per cent believed it would not. Belief in the Government survival is at its highest among supporters of the two Government parties. Some 76 per cent of Fianna Fail supporters believe it will survive while 63 per cent of Progressive Democrat supporters believe it will. Just 40 per cent of Fine Gael supporters believe it will survive.