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Sinn Fein's Mr Martin Ferris
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Sinn Féin is favoured to take the Fianna Fáil seat in the Kerry North constituency in the next general election, according to a TG4/MRBI poll.
The poll, which surveyed 400 electors earlier this month, showed that Sinn Féin councillor Mr Martin Ferris was marginally behind the near-quota shares of sitting TDs, Mr Jimmy Deenihan of Fine Gael and former Labour Party leader Mr Dick Spring.
Survey results saw Mr Deenihan and Mr Spring gain a 24 per cent share each of first preferences in the mock ballot, while Mr Ferris received a 23 per cent share - up from 16 per cent in the last general election.
However, the Sinn Féin councillor’s voter sample share was ahead of that accumulated by two Fianna Fail candidates - Mr Tom McEllistrim (17 per cent) and Senator Dan Kiely (12 per cent) and predictions are that Sinn Féin may steal the Fianna Fáil seat.
A second mock ballot which added the name of Fianna Fáil councillor Ms Norma Foley, who has not managed to secure the Fianna Fail nomination to contest the seat being vacated by her father, brought the overall Fianna Fáil vote to 31 per cent.
MRBI analysts have concluded that the survey demonstrates "it makes little difference whether Fianna Fáil nominates two or three candidates".
"The contest for the third seat will be down to the wire and the prospect of Fianna Fáil losing - while currently apparent - may change dramatically as election day moves closer," they said.