More voters would prefer an alternative government involving Fine Gael, Labour and possibly the Green Party to the current Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats coalition, according to the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi opinion poll, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent
Despite this voters remain in doubt over whether the alternative can actually win, with a greater number believing that the current combination will be re-elected, despite the preference for change.
Some 36 per cent would like to see an alternative coalition of Fine Gael, Labour and possibly the Green Party forming the next government, an increase of three points since the last such poll in January. The current Fianna Fáil/Progres-sive Democrats coalition is favoured by 32 per cent of voters, down 7 per cent. Some 18 per cent said they would choose neither of these, up 2 per cent, and 14 per cent have no opinion, two percentage points more than in January.
So last January Fianna Fáil and the PDs were ahead of the alternative, while in the poll before that last September the alternative had 36 per cent support, Fianna Fáil and the PDs 31 per cent, 20 per cent wanted neither and 13 per cent had no opinion.
But while more voters now want the alternative rather than the present Government to win, more voters believe the current coalition will actually win, rather than the alternative.
Some 39 per cent believe Fianna Fáil and the PDs will be returned for a third term, 30 per cent that Fine Gael, Labour and possibly the Greens will form the next government, 11 per cent that neither will win and 20 per cent have no opinion.
The poll was conducted last Monday and Tuesday among a national quota sample of 1,000 people at 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies in the State.
Just 16 per cent believe the next general election will make a major difference to the way the country is run, 36 per cent believe it will make a minor difference and 42 per cent - the greatest number - that it will make no difference, with 6 per cent having no opinion.
Even fewer - just 9 per cent - think it will make a difference to their lives personally, 28 per cent that it will make a minor difference, 57 per cent no difference and 6 per cent don't know.
A higher number of supporters of the alternative - 22 per cent - believe it will make a major difference to the country compared with 17 per cent of supporters of the current government.
There is little difference between supporters of each coalition option on whether it will affect their lives personally.
Improving public services such as health, transport and education was named by a clear majority of voters as their top priority in deciding how they will vote.
Some 60 per cent chose this option, 12 per cent said their top priority was that the level of crime be reduced, 10 per cent that Ireland's economic success continues, 9 per cent that public spending is not wasted and just 7 per cent that taxes are not increased, or are reduced further.
One per cent said some other issue would be their top priority and a further 1 per cent said they don't know.
Improving public services was named as the top priority issue by more Green Party supporters (70 per cent) than supporters of any other party. It was the top priority for 68 per cent of Sinn Féin voters, 64 per cent of PD voters, 61 per cent of Labour voters, 60 per cent of Fine Gael voters and 56 per cent of Fianna Fáil voters.
Supporters of the Government parties said they would attach more importance than others to the need to continue economic success in their voting decision. Some 18 per cent of PD voters said it was their main priority compared with 16 per cent of Fianna Fáil voters, 9 per cent of Fine Gael voters, 6 per cent of Labour voters, 5 per cent of Green Party voters and 2 per cent of Sinn Féin voters.
Some 56 per cent of supporters of a Fine Gael/Labour/Green government saw improving public services as their number one priority compared with 55 per cent of supporters of the current Government. Some 16 per cent of supporters of a Fianna Fáil/PD government saw continuing economic success as their main priority compared with just 7 per cent of supporters of the possible alternative government.