FIANNA Fail and the Progressive Democrats have increased their lead over the Rainbow Coalition parties in the final opinion poll of the campaign, published today.
The IMS poll conducted on Tuesday gives Fianna Fail 44 per cent support, up 4 percent age points on the previous IMS poll a week ago; the Progressive Democrats 5 per cent, down one point; Fine Gael 29 per cent, no change; Labour 9 per cent, down two points; Democratic Left 2 per cent, no change; the Greens 3 per cent, down one point; Sinn Fein 2 per cent, no change; the Workers' Party 2 per cent, up one point; and Others, including independents, 4 per cent, down one point.
However, these figures exclude "don't knows" who still totalled 14 per cent when the poll was carried out on Tuesday.
The results also suggest that both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are set to improve, by 5 and 4 percentage points respectively, on their 1992 election performances. But Labour support has slumped to less than half of the l9 per cent peak it reached in that election.
The poll, published in today's Irish Independent', also records Mr Bertie Ahern the most popular of the party leaders. The Fianna Fail leader gets a 63 per cent satisfaction rating, up four points; PD leader Ms Mary Harney is at 58 per cent, up four; Fine Gael's Mr John Bruton is on 53 per cent, down one point; Mr Dick Spring of Labour is 48 per cent, no change; and Democratic Left leader Mr Proinsias De Rossa is at 43 per cent, down two points.
In a front page comment today, the Irish Independent says that "on any objective analysis" it is a vote for Fianna Fail and the PDs "which offers the better chance of securing our future". It concludes:"We have had decades of a harsh tax regime. Let us start to enjoy some payback."