A majority of voters wanted Fianna Fáil to engage with Fine Gael in the formation of government whether from outside or as part of a coalition, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.

The finding goes some way to explaining the significant nine-point rise in support for Fianna Fáil in the poll.

Asked what was the right thing for Fianna Fáil to do after the election, 37 per cent said support Fine Gael from outside, 18 per cent said go into coalition with Fine Gael, 35 per cent wanted another general election and 10 per cent had no opinion.

The highest approval of the Fianna Fáil decision to engage in government formation came from Fine Gael voters with 57 per cent of the the party’s voters backing the decision to support from outside and 30 per cent favouring a full coalition with Fine Gael.

Fianna Fáil voters were less enthusiastic with 43 per cent favouring the course followed by leader Micheál Martin and 15 per cent favouring coalition with Fine Gael.

However, a significant number of Fianna Fáil supporters, 35 per cent, would have preferred another election to engaging with Fine Gael in government in any form.

Less enthusiastic

Supporters of Independents and the Labour Party were a little less enthusiastic, but a majority favoured some form of accommodation between the two biggest parties.

Only Sinn Féin supporters rejected it with 57 per cent of them preferring another election, 20 per cent favouring the current arrangement, 12 per cent a full coalition between the two big parties and 11 per cent having no opinion.

There was a significant difference across the class divide with a majority of middle-class voters in favour of a deal between the two big parties and a majority of the poorest DE category favouring another election instead.

There were similar views about whether a number of Independents were right or wrong to go into coalition with Fine Gael.

A total of 52 per cent said they were right, 28 per cent said they were wrong and 20 per cent had no opinion.

Supporters of Independents and smaller parties backed the decision by 57 per cent to 26 per cent with 17 per cent having no opinion.

Fine Gael supporters were the most enthusiastic about the arrangement with 70 per cent of them in favour and just 16 per cent against with 14 per cent having no opinion.

Labour supporters were strongly in favour of the arrangement and Fianna Fáil supporters less so but there were majorities for the deal in the case of both.

Again, Sinn Féin voters were the only ones opposed to the deal with 42 per cent against, 37 per cent for and 21 per cent having no opinion.

Best course of action

Questioned as to whether forming a government or having another election was the best course of action following the inconclusive general election result 49 per said forming a government but a substantial 44 per cent opted for another election with 7 per cent having no opinion.

There was a big difference across the class divide with the best off voters most in favour of government formation with a clear majority of the poorest DE voters in favour of another election.

There was also a clear generational divide with older voters most strongly in favour of government formation and the youngest age category in favour of another election.

There was also a big difference across the parties with 75 per cent of Fine Gael voters in favour of a government being formed while Fianna Fáil voters were evenly split 49 per cent each between forming a government and having another election.

Independent voters were also almost evenly split on the issue but Sinn Féin voters were strongly in favour by a margin of two to one of having another election.

The survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday of this week among a representative sample of 1,200 voters aged 18 and over in face- to-face interviews at 100 sampling points in all constituencies.

The margin of error is plus or minus 2.8 per cent.