Red C poll: FF sees support slip for first time since election
But party still ahead of FG as Dáil set to return
Fianna Fáil has seen its support slip by two points in the latest Sunday Business Post/Red C poll.
The party backed the government’s appeal against the €13 billion tax bill issued to Apple by the European Commission and has also been involved in Budget discussions with the government.
However, Fianna Fáil’s support is down by two points to 27 per cent, in the latest Sunday Business Post/Red C poll. It is the first fall in support suffered by the party in a Red C poll since the general election in February.
It means the party has not seen any bounce from the coverage of its parliamentary party “think in” in Carlow last week. And the prospect of Fianna Fáil calling a snap general election is still a distant one at present.
However, Fianna Fáil still retains its position as the most popular party ahead of Fine Gael which is down by one point to 25 per cent. The poll was carried out between last Monday and Thursday. It comes as the Dáil is due to return from its summer break on Tuesday.
The other major grouping in government, the Independent Alliance, is down by one point to 4 per cent. It has been involved in a series of controversies, including its stance on the Apple tax bill and Minister of State John Halligan’s anger at the ruling out of a second cath lab for Waterford Hospital.
Sinn Féin is up by two points to 15 per cent, in a sign that the party has not been affected by the BBC Spotlight programme last week. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has denied claims by a former IRA and Sinn Féin member turned British agent that he sanctioned the killing of Denis Donaldson.
Labour, under new leader Brendan Howlin, has increased its support by one point to seven per cent. Its staunch opponents, the Anti-Austerity Alliance and the People Before Profit Alliance, have also made a gain of one point, bringing them up to 6 per cent.
The Social Democrats have not been hit by the acrimonious departure of one of the party’s three leaders, Stephen Donnelly. The party remains unchanged at 4 per cent, since the previous Sunday Business Post/Red C poll on July 17th last. The Green Party are down two points to 2 per cent.
Fianna Fáil 27 (-2)
Fine Gael 25 (-1)
Sinn Féin 15 (+2)
Independents 10 (+3)
Independent Alliance 4 (-1)
Labour 7 (+1)
AAA-PBP 6 (+1)
Social Democrats 4 (no change)
Green Party 2 (-2)
Others: less than 1
Total: 100
