Campaign missteps sees Fine Gael support slump
Support for Fine Gael has slumped with just days to go before the general election, according to the final Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll of the campaign.
The Fine Gael share of the vote has fallen by six points in less than two weeks, reflecting a campaign that has been littered with missteps, and now trails both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin.
As the parties embark on a frantic final four days of campaign, and with the three-way televised leaders’ debate scheduled for tomorrow night, the three largest parties are all within two percentage points of one another.
General Election 2024
- Analysis: Harris faces fight of his political life poll shows drop in support
- Election canvassers getting used to ‘apathy bordering on anger’
- Ireland’s corporate tax boom makes the front page of the Wall Street Journal
- Analysis Keep an eye on where the leaders are going – that’s where they think they are in trouble
Harris hop becomes the Simon slump as poll shows Fine Gael behind Sinn Féin
Listen | 15:03
The Election Big Read
- Election 2024: What are the issues in housing?: Housing is set to be one of the biggest issues in this upcoming general election. Here are some of the issues and policies that will be on the minds of voters on polling day.
Opinion
News in Ireland
- 24,000 vehicles seized from unaccompanied learner drivers: More than 24,000 vehicles have been seized from unaccompanied learner drivers by gardaí since the road safety laws were strengthened in 2018.
- New law required to ‘protect transport workers’: New legislation to provide for longer sentences for those convicted of assaulting transport staff has been called for by the National Bus and Rail Union in a submission sent to all political parties contesting the general election.
- Up to 2ft of water in streets of Killybegs: Government approval will be sought to reopen the Emergency Humanitarian Flooding Scheme “as a matter of urgency” after Storm Bert which caused extensive flooding and widespread disruption.
- Grade inflation falls at Irish universities: Grade inflation is falling in Irish universities following a surge in the proportion of students being awarded first-class degrees over recent years, new figures show.
- Weather forecast: Today will bring a mix of sunshine and scattered showers, some heavy. Moderate to fresh and occasionally gusty southwest to west winds, strong to near gale force and gusty for a time in the north and northwest, will ease through the day as Storm Bert moves away. Highest afternoon temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees. Tonight will see showers become mostly confined to coastal counties of the west and north tonight and will gradually become more isolated. Frost and some icy patches will develop as temperatures fall to between -2 to +2 degrees.
- Check out today’s Most Read stories.
- Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone.
Climate
- Cop29 deal criticised as ‘utterly inadequate’: A last-minute deal secured at United Nations climate conference Cop29 in Baku has led to anger among developing countries and environmental activists over how the agreement was pushed through by the host country Azerbaijan which led negotiations at the summit.
- Irish aid agencies condemn Cop29 deal: The outcome of the UN climate talks is “a shameful abdication of responsibility by wealthy nations and ensures developing countries on the front lines of the climate crisis will continue paying the price for its devastating effects”, according to Ross Fitzpatrick of Christian Aid Ireland.
- Climate Cops and the art of the deal: One day at the Cop29 climate conference in Baku last week, I ran into a veteran of these sprawling talks who said he had been rereading Getting to Yes, the bestselling book on how to negotiate.
Sports
- Dublin are now facing the hardest task in sport: succession planning: There is a famous picture of the Kerry subs bench for the 1988 Munster final that suggested an ending was near.
World
- Israel-Hizbullah close to ceasefire deal, says Israel’s envoy to Washington: Israel is potentially days away from a ceasefire deal with Lebanon’s Hizbullah, the Israeli ambassador to the United States said.
Life & Style
- Faye O’Rourke’s Christmas: ‘I have a reputation for overdoing it’: I always spend it with my parents and it’s always quite casual and relaxed in the morning. The three of us tend to get up at different times. One or two presents may be opened.
Why not try one of our Crosswords & Puzzles?
Like this?
Get the best content direct to your inbox by signing up to one of our newsletters