Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin surge on

FIANNA FÁIL’S fortunes have dramatically turned a corner, while Sinn Féin’s unrelenting rise in popularity continues unabated, the latest opinion polls show.

The year's first survey of political popularity reveals that satisfaction ratings for the Government and the Taoiseach have risen by a whopping 11%. However, worryingly for the two main opposition parties, Fine Gael and Labour are failing to make headway as their support has dropped in recent months, according to the TNS/MRBI opinion poll, published in today's Irish Times.

Sinn Féin's steady rise will particularly concern the Labour Party, which is seen as its most obvious rival in working class areas. Significantly, while Gerry Adams' party's support has risen by 2% to 12%, Pat Rabbitte's party is down by a commensurate 2% to 17%.