CABINET POST:A CLEAR majority of voters believes Mary Harney should not remain as Minister for Health if the Progressive Democrats are wound up, according to the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll.
Thirty per cent said she should remain in her Cabinet post and 63 per cent said she should not, while 7 per cent had no opinion.
Fianna Fáil voters were most supportive of Ms Harney, with 43 per cent saying she should remain on and 51 per cent saying it was time to go if her party was wound up.
Among Green Party voters, 38 per cent felt she should stay, while 56 per cent said she should leave the Government.
Sinn Féin voters were most opposed to her continuing, with 78 per cent saying she should go. A total of 71 per cent of Labour voters held the same view, while the figure among Fine Gael supporters was 70 per cent.
In class terms, the better-off AB and C1 voters were considerably more supportive of Ms Harney, while in age terms her strongest support came from the over-65s, despite all the controversy over the decision on medical cards for the over-70s.
In regional terms, Dublin was most strongly supportive of Ms Harney continuing in office, while men were more inclined to take that view than women.
The poll also shows that a clear majority believes that the former taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, would make a better leader in the downturn than Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
When asked whether Bertie Ahern or Brian Cowen would be a better leader in the current situation, 50 per cent opted for Mr Ahern, while 24 per cent said Mr Cowen, and 26 per cent had no opinion.
In party terms, Mr Ahern was strongest among Fianna Fáil voters, where he was ahead of the Taoiseach by 61 per cent to 27 per cent.
The surprise in regional terms was that Mr Ahern's lowest score was in Dublin, while Mr Cowen's highest level of support came in the capital.
In age terms, Mr Ahern was strongest among the over-65s, and in class terms he was more popular with the less well-off C2 and DE voters. Both men got more support from men than women.
When asked which of the two Fine Gael senior figures would be a better leader in this economic downturn, 46 per cent opted for Richard Bruton, while 28 per cent said Enda Kenny, and 26 per cent had no opinion.
Among Fine Gael voters opinion was evenly split, with 46 per cent for each man. Among the supporters of other parties Sinn Féin voters were the most positive about Mr Kenny, while Fianna Fáil voters were the most negative.
Mr Kenny was most popular in Dublin, but there was no significant difference in his rating across the regional divide. In age terms, the Fine Gael leader was strongest among 35- to 49-year-olds, and in class terms he was strongest among lower-income DE voters.
By contrast, Mr Bruton was strongest among the better-off AB voters, where he had a rating of 50 per cent. In age terms he was clear favourite among over-65s, with 67 per cent support.
