Good news (and bad) for coalition as opinion polls give contrasting takes

Updated at 9.12pm

THERE’S ENCOURAGING NEWS for the Government parties in the latest political opinion poll results — that is, if Fine Gael and Labour politicians choose to look at just one Sunday newspaper survey.

If they choose another weekend broadsheet however, things may look a little different.

The latest polls on the ‘state of the parties’ give opposing snapshots of how the public is viewing the performance of the coalition, almost three years into its term of office.

The ‘good news’ for coalition TDs is contained in the Sunday Independent/Millward Brown poll. Here’s how those numbers are looking:

• Fine Gael: 30 per cent support (up three)
• Labour: 12 per cent (also up three)
• Fianna Fáil: 26 per cent (up two)
• Sinn Féin: 16 per cent (down five)
• Independents & others: 15 per cent (down three)
• Greens: 1 per cent (no change)

Meanwhile, over at the Sunday Business Post/Red C survey:

• Fine Gael: 27 per cent (down two)
• Labour: 9 (down three)
• Fianna Fáil: 23 (up one)
• Sinn Féin: 16 (up one)
• Independents: 25 (up three)

961 people were questioned across the country for the Sunday Independent poll, which was conducted between 15 January and Friday last.

The Sunday Business Post survey was carried out amongst 1,000 voters on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

Both newspapers carried out similar polls two months ago— the Indo had one on 17 November, and the SPB had its last survey on the 24^th.

First posted at 6pm.

Read: Good news for Labour in new opinion poll, FF and SF both down

Read: ‘It’s not a good poll’: Howlin reacts to Labour’s 25-year low