Support for Fine Gael and Labour falls in opinion poll

Support for the two Government parties has fallen in the first opinion poll taken since the Dáil was dissolved and the election campaign began.

Fine Gael has fallen one per cent to 30 per cent and Labour have dropped two points to eight per cent in the poll carried out for Paddy Power.

The Red C poll revealed on Today with Seán O'Rourke on RTÉ Radio 1 also shows Fianna Fáil has increased support to 18 per cent while Sinn Féin is unchanged at 17 per cent.

The Independents and others are at 25 per cent, an increase of two per cent since the latest poll.

A breakdown of those figures show Independents are at 15 per cent, with four per cent for the Independent Alliance ; the Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit Alliance at four per cent; Social Democrats at three per cent; Green Party is at two per cent and Renua 2 per cent.

This is the first poll that has been carried out during the election campaign and surveyed over 1,000 voters.

The results show support for Fine Gael and Labour 38 per cent compared to the 2011 general election results when their combined support was at 55 per cent.

Stuart Kenny for Paddy Power said the poll shows the most likely outcome was a Fine Gael/Fianna Fail coalition or a second election.