Taoiseach Enda Kenny, has dismissed opinion polls which show Fine Gael candidate Gay Mitchell trailing badly in the race for the Áras, saying they do not reflect the response he has seen on the campaign trail.
"I don't believe these polls at all from the evidence that I have from the days I've been on this campaign with Gay Mitchell and his wife, Norma," said Mr Kenny during a canvass with Mr Mitchell in the English Market in Cork this morning.
"The people now understand what they want in the presidency of Ireland given its place in our constitution. Gay Mitchell has set out his stall and has been elected by the people in Dublin at local, national and international level for 30 years and has shown leadership in that.
"I look at the challenge of leading our country and creating the opportunity for the thousands of our young people and I see this man in his role as president as building on the work of government and sending out the message around the globe that Ireland is the place to be."
Mr Mitchell echoed Mr Kenny's dismissal of the polls as not reflecting his experience on the hustings and he insisted that he had the vigour and energy for the presidency that would capture the support of people in his bid for the office.
"I'm not 20 points behind anybody. If you look at those polls, they are absolutely without precedent, swinging 18 to 19 per cent at one time. In the last general election 40 per cent of people decided in the last week how they were going to vote and it's even more in the presidential election."
Mr Mitchell predicted that the turnout in the election may be less than 50 per cent but he expressed confidence that Fine Gael would ensure its core party vote turns out and with transfers from other candidates, he was confident he could win the contest.
Mr Kenny said that he planned to have talks with Tánaiste and Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore next week regarding voting arrangements in the presidential election but rejected suggestions that he was motivated by a desire to stop Independent Seán Gallagher winning.
"My interest is in Gay Mitchel. I will talk to the Tánaiste and leader of the Labour Party about arrangements for the presidency but our campaign is about Gay Mitchell who has gone about the country and put out his credentials, his experience and his qualifications for the job."