Surge in support for Fianna Fáil following Easter Rising celebrations

FIANNA Fáil has received a timely ratings boost with the latest political poll showing the party has gained a full five points on the back of the Easter Rising parade.

The Fianna Fáil surge comes at the expense of Fine Gael, which dropped two points in the Red C/Sunday Business Post poll to 23%, and Sinn Féin, which dropped three points to 8%.

Labour, at 11%, remained static as did the Progressive Democrats on 4%, and the Green Party on 7%.

However, even with Fianna Fáil surging to 38%, the party remains far short of previous highs and would stand to lose more than 10 seats should such results be replicated in an election.

Overall, the poll reflects a general trend of voter indecision with the general election still more than a year away.

A full 23% of those polled were undecided and, at their current strength, neither the Government nor the alternative coalition of Fine Gael and Labour would have enough support to form an administration.

However, the cumulative rating of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, at 42%, is 8% ahead of the alternative coalition which, on 34%, could not form a Government without the assistance of another party.

This month’s gains for Fianna Fáil appear to have been driven by goodwill surrounding the Easter Rising celebrations.

However, with the Dáil in recess for much of the polling period, opposition parties may have had a reduced presence in the public’s perception.

Nevertheless, Fianna Fáil activists will be delighted at their rise in fortunes and the corresponding losses by Fine Gael and particularly Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin’s dip below 10% for the first time in two years reverses a continuous upward trend, even though the party might have expected to benefit from the 1916 factor.

But with nearly one-in-four voters undecided, the next election is wide open. According to Red C, younger voters, women and Dublin-based voters are most susceptible to change their minds, while those in the middle-aged category — between 35 and 55 — have already made long-term decisions and are far less likely to be swayed.

The poll sampled 1,002 adults across the country.