Fine Gael has romped into a massive lead over Fianna Fáil according to the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll which shows the main Opposition party at its highest level of support for a quarter of a century.
The poll also shows that satisfaction with the Government has slumped to a record low of 10 per cent, with a massive 86 per cent of voters now expressing dissatisfaction with the coalition.
The surge in Fine Gael support to 38 per cent has coincided with the unveiling of the former RTÉ Economics Editor, George Lee, as the party candidate in the Dublin South by-election.
The boost for Fine Gael and the corresponding decline of Fianna Fáil to its lowest ever poll rating since The Irish Timesbegan polling in 1982 comes after last month's emergency budget and just three weeks before the European and local elections and the two by-elections on June 5th.
When voters were asked who they would vote for if there was a general election tomorrow the adjusted figures for party support, compared with the last Irish Timespoll in February were: Fianna Fáil, 21 per cent (down 1 point); Fine Gael, 38 per cent (up 6 points); Labour, 20 per cent (down 4 points); Sinn Féin, 9 per cent (no change); Green Party, 3 per cent (down 1 point); and Independents/others, 9 per cent (no change).
The poll was conducted over the past three days among a representative sample of 2,000 voters in face-to-face interviews at 200 sampling points in all 43 constituencies. The margin of error is 2 per cent.
The core vote for the parties (before undecided voters are excluded) compared with the last Irish Timespoll was: Fianna Fáil, 20 per cent (no change); Fine Gael, 29 per cent (up 5 points); Labour, 15 per cent (down 2 points); Sinn Féin, 8 per cent (no change); Green Party, 2 per cent (down 1 point); Independents/ others, 6 per cent (no change); and undecided voters 20 per cent (down 2 points).