Voters who favour the Coalition parties are almost equally strong in their support for measures in next week’s budget to increase net incomes rather than the provision of extra spending to improve public services.
At the other end of the scale Fianna Fáil voters are most supportive of spending on improved services.
Asked what one thing they would most like to see if the purse strings were loosened in Tuesday’s budget voters gave a wide range of responses.
Varied responses When those options were grouped together 44 per cent favoured action to improve their net incomes, 21 per cent opted for higher spending on services, 33 per cent opted for measures that did not fall into either category and 2 per cent had no opinion.
The best-off AB voters were most inclined to opt for increased net income as the priority, but the poorest DE voters also favoured that option by an almost equally large margin.
There was little variation across the age groups but women were more inclined than men to give the priority to improved services.
The biggest variations came across party lines with 53 per cent of Fine Gael supporters, 48 per cent of Independents/Others, 46 per cent of Labour, 41 per cent of Sinn Féin and 40 per cent of Fianna Fáil voters rating net income as the priority.
Fianna Fáil priority By contrast when it came to better public services 27 per cent of Fianna Fá
il voters rated it as the priority, followed by 24 per cent Independent/Others, 20 per cent Fine Gael, 16 per cent Sinn Féin and 13 per cent Labour.
Sinn Féin and Labour supporters gave a higher priority than supporters of others parties to the abolition or reduction of water charges with 21 per cent of Sinn Féin voters rating it the key issue, followed by Labour 19 per cent, Fianna Fáil 15 per cent, Independent/Others 11 per cent and Fine Gael 9 per cent.
Asked if local authorities should reduce the property tax by 15 per cent as permitted by Government regulations, 82 per cent of voters said they should with just 10 per cent saying they should not. And 8 per cent of people had no opinion.
Labour supporters were the least inclined to say they should be reduced while Fianna Fáil voters were most strongly in favour.
There were some differences across class and party lines about whether the purse strings should be loosened in the budget or the priority given to reducing the deficit below the target.
The best-off AB voters were least enthusiastic about loosening the purse strings, with 62 per cent for and 33 per cent against. That contrasts with the poorest DE voters, with 80 per cent of them in favour and 13 per cent against.
In party terms Sinn Féin voters are most enthusiastic and Fine Gael voters the least supportive.
