FINE GAEL’S LEAD over Labour in the opinion polls has stretched to a massive 21 per cent, according to the latest poll in today’s newspapers.

The Irish Daily Star’s poll, carried out by OI research between Saturday and Monday, gives Fine Gael a 39 per cent share of the public support – creeping ever closer to the share of the vote it would need to guarantee an overall majority in the next Dáil.

Its hopes are further boosted by Labour’s slip down to 18 per cent, just a point ahead of Fianna Fáil on 17, which will be happy to put distance between itself and Sinn Féin back in fourth place.

The Green Party sits on 2 per cent, while independents and others stay occupy the other 14 per cent of the public’s support.

The poll saw over 1,000 voters telephoned across the country between Saturday and Monday, however, so it does not include responses to the leaders’ debate on Monday night or the TG4 debate aired yesterday evening.

There is a further positive note for Micheál Martin, who is ranked as the most popular party leader when voters were asked who they thought could be trusted to represent Ireland overseas.

He won the support of 39 per cent of voters, ahead of Enda Kenny who won the approval of 35 per cent, and Eamon Gilmore who was supported by 32 per cent.

Among other questions put to voters was how the new government should treat the EU-IMF bailout: 80 per cent of voters said it should be negotiated, while 10 per cent advocated defaulting.

Irish Daily Star/OI Research poll
(Results of Irish Independent/Millward Brown poll, published this morning, in brackets)

• Fine Gael 39 (38)
• Labour 18 (23)
• Fianna Fáil 17 (12)
• Sinn Fein 10 (10)
• Green Party 2 (1)
• Independents/others 14 (16)

Read more in today’s Irish Daily Star >

Boards.ie poll shows FF set for meltdown >