Fianna Fail's popularity has risen dramatically while support for the Progressive Democrats has slumped, according to the latest Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll.
It shows that Fianna Fail's support has increased to 50 per cent, up eight percentage points, and the PDs have dropped to 2 per cent, down five points, since the last opinion poll just before the general election four months ago.
The state of the parties, excluding the 17 per cent undecideds, is: Fianna Fail 50 per cent, up eight points since May 28th; Fine Gael 25 per cent, down one point; Labour 13 per cent, up two points; PDs 2 per cent, down five points; Green Party 3 per cent, down one point; Democratic Left 1 per cent, down one point; Workers' Party 1 per cent, unchanged; Sinn Fein 2 per cent, up one point; and Others 2 per cent, down four points.
The poll was conducted among a national quota sample of 1,000 electors at 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies in the State last Saturday. The satisfaction ratings of all the party leaders have risen in the poll. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, grappling with the fall-out from the Haughey, Reynolds and Burke controversies, records the highest rating of 73 per cent, up eight points in four months. The Tanaiste's rating has increased to 62 per cent, up four points in the same period.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Bruton, is recording a satisfaction level of 60 per cent, up two points; the Labour leader, Mr Spring, stands at 57 per cent, up eight points; and the Democratic Left leader, Mr De Rossa, gets 52 per cent, up five points.
The satisfaction level with the Government is 62 per cent, up five points on the rainbow coalition's standing in the last opinion poll on May 28th.
There is a dissatisfaction level of 26 per cent with the Fianna Fail/Progres sive Democrats coalition, compared to 34 per cent for its predecessors four months ago.
The core vote for the parties in the latest poll is: Fianna Fail 42 per cent, Fine Gael 21 per cent, Labour 11 per cent, PDs 2 per cent, DL 1 per cent; Green Party 2 per cent, Workers' Party 1 per cent; Sinn Fein 1 per cent; Others 2 per cent; and Don't Knows 17 per cent.
The result of the general election held on June 6th was: Fianna Fail 39.3 per cent, Fine Gael 27.9 per cent, Labour 10.4 per cent, PDs 4.7 per cent, Green Party 2.8 per cent, DL 2.5 per cent, Sinn Fein 2.5 per cent, Workers' Party 0.4 per cent and Others 9.4 per cent.
