Mr Pat Rabbitte has the strongest public support in the campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party, according to an Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll.
Some 30 per cent of voters chose Mr Rabbitte as the person they would most like to see assume the Labour leadership. The current deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin, was favoured by 21 per cent. Ms Roisin Shortall received 10 per cent support while Mr Eamon Gilmore was chosen by 8 per cent of people. Some 31 per cent expressed no opinion.
Among Labour Party supporters Mr Rabbitte received 42 per cent support to 31 per cent for Mr Howlin, 13 per cent for Mr Gilmore and 11 per cent for Ms Shortall. Just 3 per cent of Labour supporters expressed no opinion.
Over 3,600 Labour Party members will receive ballot papers in about a week's time, which must be returned by October 25th. While this opinion poll measures the views of the public and Labour voters rather than party activists, it is likely to influence some of them in their choice.
The poll also shows strong public support for the Cabinet decision not to spend any more public money on the national stadium project. Some 65 per cent believed the Government made the right decision, 26 per cent thought it made the wrong decision, 5 per cent said they did not know, with 4 per cent having no opinion.
In the Labour contest, Mr Rabbitte's lead is strongest among voters in Dublin where 34 per cent said they favoured him compared to 18 per cent for Mr Howlin, 10 per cent for Ms Shortall and 9 per cent for Mr Gilmore. Twenty-eight per cent had no opinion.
However, Mr Howlin leads the contest among voters in Leinster with 26 per cent support compared to 23 per cent for Mr Rabbitte, 10 per cent for Ms Shortall and 5 per cent for Mr Gilmore. Here 36 per cent expressed no opinion.
Mr Rabbitte is ahead in Munster and Connacht/Ulster. In Munster, the support levels are Mr Rabbitte, 30 per cent; Mr Howlin 22 per cent; Ms Shortall, 10 per cent; and Mr Gilmore, 6 per cent. Some 32 per cent gave no opinion.
In Connacht Ulster, Mr Rabbitte received 32 per cent support; Mr Howlin, 18 per cent; Mr Gilmore, 11 per cent; Ms Shortall 9 per cent; no opinion, 31 per cent.
Mr Rabbitte's lead over Mr Howlin is stronger in urban areas (33 per cent to 19 per cent) than rural areas (26 per cent to 25 per cent. Men strongly favoured Mr Rabbitte, giving him 37 per cent support compared to 24 per cent for Mr Howlin. Among women Mr Rabbitte's lead is much narrower, with 24 per cent supporting him and 18 per cent favouring Mr Howlin. Ms Shortall received her best rating among women voters with 14 per cent.