Support for FF up despite payment controversy

FIANNA FÁIL had cause for further celebration yesterday, as a second opinion poll confirmed that public support for the party has increased, despite the controversy over payments to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

The poll, carried out by Millward Brown IMS, shows Fianna Fáil on 42%, an increase of five points since the research firm’s last poll in September.

If accurate, it means support for the party has returned to 2002 levels, when Fianna Fáil’s 42% share of the vote saw it comfortably returned to power with the PDs.

The poll is broadly in line with one published last week, carried out by TNS MRBI, which showed support for Fianna Fáil had was up eight points to 39%.

In addition, both polls showed increased personal approval ratings for Mr Ahern. Yesterday’s poll showed public satisfaction with the performance of Mr Ahern had increased by two points to 56%. Last week’s poll had Mr Ahern’s rating rising one point to 53%.

But perhaps the single most remarkable statistic in yesterday’s poll concerned the electorate’s preferred choice of Taoiseach. Fifty-six% of respondents opted for Mr Ahern, an increase of six points since September.

Just 25% opted for Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, a decrease of four points.

There was little solace elsewhere in yesterday’s poll for either Mr Kenny or Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, whose attempts to convince the electorate that they can form an alternative Government appear to be failing.

The poll showed support for both parties had fallen — again, broadly in line with last week’s poll.

The Millward Brown poll, published in yesterday’s Sunday Tribune, shows support for Fine Gael has fallensix points to 20%. The TNS poll, published in Friday’s Irish Times, also showed Fine Gael falling, by two points to 26%.

Support for Labour has decreased two points to 10%, according to the Millward Brown poll. Labour were down one point to 11% in the TNS poll.

Support for Fianna Fáil’s partner in government, the PDs, has remained steady on 4%, according to Millward Brown. TNS polled the same figure for the party.

The polls indicate that, were the election to be held today, Fianna Fáil and the PDs would win a third term in office.

But there was one sour note for Fianna Fáil over the weekend — Dublin North TD Jim Glennon announced he would not contest the next election.

The former Irish rugby international was considered a near-certainty to win re-election next summer. His decision to step down once the election is called means Fianna Fáil will have to find another candidate for what the party had considered a safe seat.

However, the party knew for some time that Mr Glennon was mulling over his future. He informed the Taoiseach in the summer that he was considering retirement from politics, and formally told Mr Ahern of his decision on Saturday.

Mr Glennon said he was leaving politics to pursue interests in the private sector.