The Labour Party has consolidated its position as the largest party in the state, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.
The poll also shows a modest recovery in the Fianna Fáil vote since the since the last Irish Times poll in June and the party has now drawn level with Fine Gael for the first time in almost two years.
Eamon Gilmore remains the most popular party leader while there has been a slight recovery in the standing of Taoiseach Brian Cowen despite the furore over his radio interview on Morning Ireland.
When people were asked who they would vote for if there was a general election tomorrow, the figures for party support when the undecided voters are excluded, compared with the last Irish Times poll on June 11th last, were: Fianna Fáil, 24 per cent (up three points); Fine Gael, 24 per cent (down three points); Labour, 33 per cent (up four points); Sinn Féin, 8 per cent (down two points); Green Party, 2 per cent (down two points); and Independents/ Others, 9 per cent (no change).
The poll was taken on Monday and Tuesday of this week among a representative sample of 1,000 voters aged 18 and over, in face-to-face interviews at 100 sampling points in all 43 constituencies. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 per cent.
The polling company Ipsos MRBI has dropped the adjustment it has applied to the figures for the past decade. It was has reverted to a simple exclusion of undecided voters for the top line figures which are compared to the same figures in the last poll.
The core vote for the parties (before undecided voters are excluded) compared with the last Irish Times poll was: Fianna Fáil, 19 per cent (up three points); Fine Gael, 20 per cent (down one point); Labour, 27 per cent (up five points); Sinn Féin, 6 per cent (down two points); Green Party, 2 per cent (down one point); Independents/Others, 8 per cent (up one point); and undecided voters, 18 per cent (down five points).
Despite the improvement in Fianna Fáil’s position, just 13 per cent of voters are satisfied with the way the Government is doing its job (a rise of one point) while 83 per cent are dissatisfied (no change).
On the party leaders, Brian Cowen got a satisfaction rating of 19 per cent (up one point); Enda Kenny was on 25 per cent (up one point); Eamon Gilmore was on 49 per cent (up three points); John Gormley, 18 per cent (down three points) and Gerry Adams, 29 per cent (down two points).)
