Fianna Fáil's continued dominance of the political scene nationally is reflected in its traditional Co Clare stronghold, according to the latest TG4/MRBI poll which shows the party holding on to three of the four seats.
The results will come as a disappointment to Fine Gael which is counting on Clare as a key marginal constituency, adjacent to the party leader's, Mr Noonan, where it hopes to gain an extra seat. The poll shows that opposition candidates have failed to make an issue of the drastic fall- off in business at Shannon Airport.
Fianna Fáil's share of first preference votes has increased by nine percentage points to 59 per cent despite two thirds of the 400 people polled expressing dissatisfaction with Government handling of the Shannon Airport crisis.
Fine Gael has a 30 per cent share, Labour, 4 per cent, similar to 1997, and 23 per cent of voters were undecided. The Green Party, with Mr Brian Meaney as its candidate, increased its share from 4 per cent to 7 per cent.
The Progressive Democrats have not yet selected a candidate in the constituency and were not included on the mock ballot paper of eight candidates. Their candidate achieved 7 per cent of first preferences five years ago.
The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, is set to top the poll with 23 per cent of the first count. Her colleague, Mr Tony Killeen, is also predicted to exceed the quota with 22 per cent of the first count. Their transfers are expected to re-elect Mr Brendan Daly who has 13 per cent of first preference votes.
The survey showed Fine Gael have little hope of gaining a second seat. Mr Donal Carey's position as the single Fine Gael TD is precarious with his running mate, Senator Madeleine Taylor-Quinn, threatening to take it.
The poll shows Mr Carey (64) gaining 13 per cent of the first preference vote, derived mainly from voters aged over 50. Senator Taylor-Quinn, at 11 per cent of the first preference vote, mostly draws her support from the 18 to 34 age groups.
The two held seats in Clare between 1982 and 1987 and 1989 and 1992.