VOTERS ARE ALMOST evenly split on whether Fine Gael minister Dara Murphy’s use of two on-duty gardaí to drive him to Dublin Airport for an early morning flight is a resignation issue.

The European Affairs Minister has come under pressure in recent days after it emerged that two on-duty gardaí drove him over 200 kilometres from Cork to Dublin Airport for an early-morning flight earlier this month.

Murphy sought help after his car broke down on the motorway outside Mitchelstown at around 3am on 13 September. He was travelling with his wife Tanya to catch a 6.40am flight to Brussels for an EU meeting on the refugee and migrant crisis.

The Cork North-Central has now apologised to people who think he wasted Garda resources and has insisted he did not decline a taxi journey on the grounds of price.

In the latest Claire Byrne Live/Amarach Research poll, over 1,000 people were asked:

Is Minister Dara Murphy’s use of the Gardai to provide transport from Cork to Dublin Airport a resignation issue?

Respondents were almost evenly split with 41% saying it is a resignation issue, while 40% said it is not. Around a fifth, 19%, said they don’t know.

Significantly, more working class people, 46%, consider it a resignation issue than those in the upper and middle classes, 35%.

Murphy has some support among voters aged between 45 and 54, half of whom do not believe it is a resignation issue.

The poll comes as Murphy last night narrowly won the Fine Gael selection covention in Cork North-Central, beating Senator Colm Burke by just 16 votes.

He has retained the backing of Taoiseach Enda Kenny and coalition partners Labour who have criticised his decision but believe his apology has drawn a line under the matter.

Originally published 1.08pm

Read: The curious case of the Fine Gael minister, the broken-down car and 214km garda dig-out