LAST UPDATE | 5 Mar 2023

SUPPORT FOR THE Social Democrats has more than doubled in a month, following the election of Holly Cairns as its new leader, a new opinion poll suggests.

The Ireland Thinks / Sunday Independent poll shows that support for the Social Democrats has more than doubled, from 4% to 9%, following the unopposed election of Cairns as leader this week, and subsequent media attention.

Founded in July 2015, the party currently has six TDs.

Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly told RTÉ’s This Week in Politics that the results are indicative of a “new leader bounce”.

“That didn’t happen for the Labour Party with Brendan Howlin or Ivana Bacik but that’s very much against the run of play under normal circumstances,” said O’Reilly.

O’Reilly noted that “the only movement in this poll outside of the margin of error is the increase in support for the Social Democrats”.

“I think they’d acknowledge themselves that part of that is possibly due to the new leader,” she added.

O’Reilly also said it was “good to see a young woman stepping up the a position of leadership” but added that there is a “need to see more women in politics”.

Education Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Norma Foley also welcomed Cairns taking up the leadership when speaking on This Week in Politics and added: “It’s absolutely fantastic that we have a young woman taking the helm in a political party.

“I think it’s very good for the body politic and I certainly wish her well.”

Personal approval ratings

The opinion poll also put Cairns’ personal approval rating at 43%, second only to Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin (45%).

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald was rated at 41%, Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar at 40%, Labour leader Ivana Bacik at 32%, Aontú leader Peadar Toibin at 29% and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan at 22%.

Meanwhile, support for Sinn Féin still far exceeds that of any other party in the country, though it has polled its rating result in 18 months. 

Sinn Féin is at 29%, down two points on last month.

The party is till far ahead of Fine Gael however, which sits at 21% (down one point), and Fianna Fáil on 19% (up one point).

Support for the third government party, the Green Party, remains at 4%, while both the Labour Party and Aontú have dropped a point to 3%. People Before Profit / Solidarity is at 2%, while Independents and others remain at 10%.

Ireland Thinks interviewed more than 1,162 voters for their poll on Friday, 3 March. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9%.

-With additional reporting from Press Association