Fianna Fáil received a boost from two separate constituency opinion polls yesterday, which predicted seat gains for the party in Dublin South East and Donegal South West.
An Irish Independent/Prime Time poll of the Dublin South East constituency predicted not only that the Green Party's Mr John Gormley would hold off the PD challenge from Mr Michael McDowell, but that Fianna Fáil's Mr Chris Andrews would take the Fine Gael seat held by Ms Frances Fitzgerald. The results were given on RTÉs Prime Time last night, but no details of the methodology, the numbers polled or the days polling took place were given.
The results in the four-seat constituency were as follows: Mr Ruairí Quinn (Lab) 18 per cent; Mr Chris Andrews (FF) 16.9 per cent; Mr John Gormley (Green Party) 15.3 per cent; Mr Eoin Ryan (FFl) 12.4 per cent; Ms Frances Fitzgerald (FG) 11.8 per cent; Mr Daithí Doolan (SF) 10.2 per cent; Mr Michael McDowell (PD) 9.2 per cent; Mr Colm Mac Eochaidh (FG) 3.8 per cent; Mr Thomas Crilly (WP) 2.4 per cent.
A TG4/MRBI poll shows Fianna Fáil set to regain the seat lost to independent Mr Tom Gildea in Donegal South West in 1997. MEP Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher, who rejoined the party ticket to try to oust Mr Gildea, will top the poll, the survey says.
The share of the first preference vote, excluding the undecided, is: Mr Gallagher, 31 per cent; Ms Mary Coughlan (FF), 24 per cent; Mr Dinny McGinley (FG), 12 per cent; Mr Jim White (FG), 9 per cent; Mr Pearse Doherty (SF), 6 per cent; Mr Gildea, 5 per cent; Mr Thomas Pringle (Ind), 4 per cent; Mr Séamus Rodgers (Labr) 3 per cent; Mr Tom Dignam (SF), 3 per cent; Mr Seán O Baoill (Ind Fianna Fáil), 3 per cent.