Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
PA Images/Rollingnews.ie
Opinion Poll
Drop in support for both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
Meanwhile Independents and Solidarity-People Before Profit have made slight gains.
7.51pm, 26 Jan 2019
25.0k
94
SUPPORT FOR FIANNA Fáil and Fine Gael has fallen while Independents and Solidarity-People Before Profit have made slight gains according to a new opinion poll.
Fine Gael remains the most popular party in the country but is down 2 points to 32%.
Here are the poll’s findings:
Fine Gael: 32% (-2)
Fianna Fáil: 22% (-5)
Sinn Féin: 13% (unchanged)
Independents: 14% (+4)
Labour: 6% (unchanged)
Independent Alliance: 5% (unchanged)
Green Party: 3% (unchanged)
Social Democrats: 2% (unchanged)
Solidarity-People Before Profit: 2% (+2)
Renua: 0% (unchanged)
The telephone poll of 1,000 voters was carried between 17 January and 24 January.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
@bmul: I get what you’re saying but that’s one example, imagine how much more would be done if it was a collective. Independents by nature are like super county Councillors. If they put aside a few tiny local issues they might be even more useful. I mean, access to TV and some issues they’ve campaigned and got elected on are mental. Wallace is a joke and embarrassment to the Dail. Regardless of any good he has done by some of his immature stance on things he’s not deserving of his seat.
@Jazz Buckler: Renua could save Ireland and Europe and possibly the free world. But alas, collectively we are not ready and this round of humanity and we have advanced as much as we can this round. We will collectively be lead to our eminent demise like moths to a flame…
@David Clements: 54% of people agree with the pole of the 10% that support fg/ff, sure look at the country, no issues anywhere, no strikes looming, everything is in perfect equilibrium, god bless Leo
@Marty Lawless: politics needs a serious revamp on the island. It’s a pity most Irish people sit on the fence until they become keyboard warriors. General election one way or another this year.
@Lobert Rester: jeepers ‘Leo being murdered’ hardly, Leo gets a soft touch from every main stream media outlet and is rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers in davos, hardly think a few gifs and posts on a personal fb/twitter profile will damage such a juggernaut of a corporate supremacist, leo ignores the pleas of the nurses with his government with the whole for profit objective and has a slight blip in the polls. Stone walling over worked and under paid health service workers has had little effect on the perfect Taoiseach. This poll is hardly something for fine gael to worry about when you have full throat-ed support of fianna fail. Their econ(job)omy is still booming workers wages are stagnant shane ross is privatising the transport sector and leos union busting/ ignoring shackling the public health sector into a death spiral and the journal has ffg back . Workers at the bottom can rest assured that the Irish main stream media will protect the corporate supremacist government of the days focus on a for profit, worker gouging shindig. Imagine a government run by the people of ireland for the majority in Ireland because you arent getting it with fine geal and fianna fail.
What’s going to change?? Nothing,, that is until the public change, the guys that knock on your door around election time CRAVE your vote, and until we tell them that we want accountability for their actions or non actions or else we will take that vote away, it will all stay the same, they have been getting away with gross mismanagement of tax payers money for to long, we are the ones that have to change……
@Devilsavocado: two months after the next election, if they can form a government in decent time this time, I’m gonna go around and knock on their door, not just first preference but second and third. How’d you like me now! How are you following heather smalls advice, eh pal!
@Devilsavocado: prudent pascal is proving that gov ain’t prudent at all. Between housing crisis, hospital costs, public sector pay, politicians pay, gov spin units, they’re proving to be prudent on all the wrong things.
I’m trying to think, we expect politicians to have some skill or knowledge, experience etc. In truth few do. Bertie, leaving out all his wheeling and dealing and whatever else you want to add, had a special way with people, only had to be around in early 2000s. His skill was obviously dealing with people. Albert Reynolds was the quiet operator behind the scenes and Garret Fitz was the intellect type, the thinking man. Strikes me how Leo is like a snapshot of the world today, relies of others to look after him, image is everything, social media is his tool, not sure of his skills if any, doesn’t seem able to negotiate, little tact, not a real people person. What’s worse is there is no alternatives, the world , not just Ireland, lacks real inspirational leaders who will get people on board!
@ThatLJD: personality means nothing….we had plenty in the past some pure evil. we need to root out the cancer in politics and its ff and fg….nothing will ever change as long as they are present.
@ThatLJD: too much democracy thats whats wrong. Too many people out there complaining. There is no patriotism no genuine feeling for life. Everybody blames politicans should take a look in the mirror.100 years ago men and women were fighting for the freedom of this country. Dont think anybody now has the gumption or balls to have a spirit like that. So stop whingeing
I think Leo will be gone by the end of the year. The shine is coming off and people are seeing he’s all social media and video ops and absolutely no sincerity or substance.
@P Quinn:
I cannot think of one Politician who has leadership qualities. Now that things are hotting up in the Brexit debacle we are beginning to separate the men from the boys and Leo is all style but no substance.
@P Quinn:
Gone where? The Government aren’t going anywhere, unless Leo decides to call an election. There is nobody in Fine Gael going to challenge his leadership. What makes you think he’ll be gone?
@CrabaRev: FG will ditch him if he keeps underperforming and slipping in the polls. There’s plenty there who could replace him. I can’t stand FG, but Simon Coveney is a far more competent politician. Leo is a media man with no substance. Whereas Coveney gets on with the job. Leo and the likes of Murphy and Harris are out of their depth and everyone knows it.
@P Quinn: totally agree. I don’t regard these polls . After president election Michael d was polling so high & finished 10 points less than polls . Fg are gone who would vote them in again . Only the rich . I guess .
@P Quinn: Not going to happen. There are no hints of any dissatisfaction with Varadker in Fine Gael . The only way he will lose the Fine Gael leadership is if he calls an election and then loses a load of seats. I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Nobody could possibly be in their depth in Health. it is literally an impossible job. He was very impressive during the repeal depbate. Harris is doing a passable job at the moment in very difficult circumstances.
You seem to be under some illusion that it’s a Minister’s job to fix things. It’s not. They are just there to keep a department ticking over until the next person comes along.
@CrabaRev: no illusions here. My point is that if FG keep sliding in the polls – Leo will be pushed. Watch the next 12 months, he’s on borrowed time unless there’s a massive turn around in housing and health in particular. If Brexit falls apart, as it is looking likely, our economy will be hit and Leo will be on his arse.
What is the difference in any of them. For example not one of the party’s have shouted “stop” as regards the childrens hospital! We all want one and asap but not at any cost and any place. We have waited so long we may as well wait another 12 months and get it right. Ffs, not one extra bed, no parking, no helicopter pad. Why do we continue this madness and just get another enquiry thats costing €450,000 plus. Only in Ireland.
@Brian Renaghan:
It’s costing so much it might be as well to scrap the whole thing and build it on a green field site.
At least then we would have a hospital that had space to expand, adequate parking etc.
Who on earth made the final decision to build it adjacent to St James and why,
@Aine O Connor: Harris leo signed off they made the choice the didn’t do it right they signed the contract without reading proper & not allowing for additional costs they rushed it to get it up regardless cost they didn’t care . They are spending tax payers money as if it’s growing on trees . God help us if they attempt to do metro
@Aine O Connor: Harris leo signed off they made the choice the didn’t do it right they signed the contract without reading proper & not allowing for additional costs they rushed it to get it up regardless cost they didn’t care . They are spending tax payers money as if it’s growing on trees . God help us if they attempt to do metro
@Aine O Connor: i agree totally, what really gets my back up is neither Fianna Fail or Sinn Fein are calling for this. Why are we the citizens of Ireland allowing this to happen. Its guaranteed in 10 or 15 yrs there will be a major inquiry as to how this was allowed to happen. We just love enquiries as no one can be held accountable.
The only thing I’d take from this opinion poll is that the SF leadership is struggling. At the same stage during the last Government SF were in the 20s. Now down at 13% and opinion polls have always overestimated their strength. Some people always think voting for SF is a good idea right up to Election Day at which stage they vote for somebody else.
@Rory: Or you could ask the real gangsters… the government who gave billions of taxpayers money to repay for the gangsterism of the banks and developers facilitated by politicians. The payment of hundreds of millions of Euros with interest to bondholders. The exemption of banks paying tax on their profits for the next 20 years. The crumbling health service, housing crisis, homeless, scandal after scandal all facilitated by the Blueshirt/ F.F.coalition.
Personally I think FG and Leo arr doing a fantastic job.
Employment up, tourist numbers up, trolley numbers not too bad
Even got an appointment for an MRI myself this morning, only asked for it 8 weeks ago. Greater numbers than ever travelling abroad, retail sales up. Fantastic job.
We did call for Brexit, at least Leo called it like it is , UK are either in or out, has to be border controls to protect Common Market.
Houses will eventually come on stream.
Look at the mess in USA, UK, France, Italy.
Definitely vote FG next time
@Peter Byrne: well when you eventually get that”Appointment “ ( as I’m sure it will be postponed a few times before you actually get it done ) just make sure they do a CT scan also! Because what you just said is insane!
Their a disgrace selling us out with the border issues, brings back memories of the bank bailouts, “ not one penny, there will be NO Bailout, there will be NO Bailout. We will bail them out! . There will be NO hard boarders , there will be NO hard boarders, there will be a hard boarder! Good little boys obeying their orders from Brussels!
@Wade Wilson: FF are in government so its over half, says a lot about this half…..content with corruption at all levels and they will be crying again when the next wipeout comes saying how did it all happen.
@@mdmak33: The UK voted to leave the EU not the other way around. I have no wish to see a hard border but if we wish to stay in the EU (which I believe we do) and UK crashes out or moves far away from EU rules there will have to be a border. Alternatively we could go rejoin the UK. Is that what you are suggesting?
@Marty: Don’t mind all the other issues its all Shane Ross’s fault because you want to drive pissed and kill some poor guy in the morning hammered still behind the wheel of your car.
@For Goodness Sake: every time, “whats the alternative?” probably from a FF or FG supporter! If say FF drop another 7% and FG drop another 3%, there would be no choice other than an alternative because FF and FG can’t make up 50%.
So there there is no appetite for any party, I wonder what is the way forward for our future governments.? It doesn’t look like any party politics/ governments are liked worldwide?
After the so called rehabilitated branding of F.F. Michael Martin became the deputy leader of the blueshirts. His new found interest in the political suitution in the six counties is a road to Damascus moment. For the leader of a party that facilitated the downfall of a country says it all about Martin. Maybe as deputy leader of the blueshirts Michael Martin will insist his former party F.F. will take seats in Westminster as part of of a deal to apologise for his statement he was a Republican.
I’m not surprised that support for these carbon copies has decreased. Plastic politics and plastic politicians. We are forsaken in our quest for decent men and women with a real integrity and grá for our country. We are bereft of compassionate and non self orientation in our choice political entitles.
It’s a joke these polls… Because a lot of the time you wonder where they get the extra numbers from or where they lose the numbers to when you add all the numbers up at the end.
Its nothing fine geal need worry about Leo gets a soft touch from every main stream media outlet and is rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers in davos, hardly think a few gifs and posts on a personal fb/twitter profile will damage such a juggernaut of a corporate supremacist, leo ignores the pleas of the nurses with his government with the whole for profit objective and has a slight blip in the polls. Stone walling over worked and under paid health service workers has had little effect on the perfect Taoiseach. This poll is hardly something for fine gael to worry about when you have full throat-ed support of fianna fail. Their econ(job)omy is still booming workers wages are stagnant shane ross is privatising the transport sector and leos union busting/ ignoring shackling the public health sector into a death spiral and the journal has ffg back . Workers at the bottom can rest assured that the Irish main stream media will protect the corporate supremacist government of the days focus on a for profit, worker gouging shindig. Imagine a government run by the people of ireland for the majority in Ireland because you arent getting it with fine geal and fianna fail.
And the results are in: another inept coalition ready to inflict disaster on Ireland PLC sold off by the other inepts who preceded these inepts.. and all us inepts just help to keep the inept in a position of ineptness :)
Marcus Rashford scores twice to guide Barcelona to victory against Newcastle
The 42
7 mins ago
0
Israel
US again vetoes UN Security Council call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
16 mins ago
0
ABC
Jimmy Kimmel's late-night TV show cancelled - here's what he said about Trump and Charlie Kirk
15 hrs ago
39.1k
164
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 238 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage . Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework. The choices you make regarding the purposes and vendors listed in this notice are saved and stored locally on your device for a maximum duration of 1 year.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Social Media Cookies
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 168 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 216 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 175 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 133 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 134 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 54 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 51 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 192 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 81 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 120 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 126 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 53 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 69 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 40 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 135 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 138 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 104 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 72 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 129 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 118 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say