Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Brian Lawless
# Slump
Fine Gael hasn't been this unpopular in a decade
Enda Kenny’s own satisfaction rating has fallen too in the latest poll, making him the least popular party leader in the Dáil.
THE COUNTRY’S TWO government parties have fallen significantly in the most recent poll, with Fine Gael now at its lowest point since 2003.
The latest Irish Times MRBI poll found just 16% of people would vote for Fine Gael if an election were held to tomorrow, putting them down three points since the last Irish Times poll in October, and only 5% would vote Labour.
Sinn Féin is again the most popular party in the country according to this poll, as 17% of people said they would vote for them, though the party has fallen slightly since the October poll. The Maíria Cahill controversy does not appear to have damaged party popularity much but leader Gerry Adam’s own rating dropped 11 points. Despite that, he is still the most popular party leader.
As for Fianna Fáil, which is now starting picking election candidates, 16% would favour them on the ballot paper.
The rising popularity of the independents and others continues to soar at a considerable 25% while 22% of people said they were undecided. The poll found more than one third who said they would choose independents and others would do so because they did not trust the established parties.
The Taoiseach’s own satisfaction rating also took a dive, seven points to 19%, making him the least popular party leader in the Dáil right now.
