FIANNA FÁIL IS down seven percentage points in the latest opinion poll, placing it neck-and-neck with Fine Gael.

Micheál Martin’s party now stands on 26%, according to today’s Ipsos/MRBI poll for The Irish Times.

Party support – when undecided voters were excluded – compared with the result of the last poll in July is:

• Fine Gael: 26% (up two points)
• Fianna Fáil: 26% (down seven)
• Independents/Others: 24% (up two)
• Sinn Féin: 19% (up three)
• Labour: 5% (no change)

Martin remains the most popular party leader, with 39% support.

The poll notes support for independents and smaller parties has increased since July, but is down on their general election performance in February.

Independents who are not part of any grouping faired best, with marginal changes in support for the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit, the Social Democrats, the Independent Alliance and the Green Party.

The survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday of this week among 1,200 adults via interviews in all constituencies. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.8%.

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