Health is the issue most on our minds, poll reveals

FINE Gael leader Enda Kenny’s assertion that the election will prove to be a referendum on the health services looks like it is proving accurate.

Some political observers questioned Mr Kenny’s decision to make health the dominant issue of his party’s campaign.

They pointed out that parties in other countries had tried that approach in the past and failed. Among them was the British Labour Party in the 1980s.

But the Irish Examiner/Lansdowne Market Research poll shows health is certainly the issue most on the public’s mind.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents — or more than one in three people — said “health care and medical costs” was the most important election issue, up 16 points on last September.

Sixty-five percent of respondents — or roughly two in three people — said health was among the most important issues.

The next major election issue — “crime, law and order, vandalism” — came some distance behind in terms of voter priority.

Ten percent of respondents said it was the most important issue, the same number as last year. Thirty-two percent of respondents said it was among the most important issues, up two points since the previous poll.

“The cost of living” ranked third on the list. Nine percent said it was the most important issue, down nine points since last September. Twenty-nine percent said it was among the most important issues, down from 43% last year.

“Child care provision and costs” was cited by 6% of respondents as the most important issue, up a point since September. Fifteen percent said it was among the most important issues, up two points.

Five percent of respondents said “house prices” was the most important issue, down two points since the previous poll. Twenty percent said it was among the most important issues, down four points.

“Drug abuse” was cited by 4% of respondents as the most important issue, down two since September. Sixteen percent said it was among the most important issues, down four points.

Surprisingly, two of the issues previously considered at the forefront of voters’ minds — “the economy” and “stamp duty” — ranked towards the end of the list.

Just 2% of respondents said stamp duty was the most important election issue. Ten percent said it was among the most important issues.

This would support recent comments made by Housing Minister Noel Ahern, who pointed out that stamp duty affected just a small portion of the population.

“It’s wrong to be giving out signals that you’re going to have fundamental reform spending a billion to satisfy the needs of what — 40,000 people a year?

“And that’s all.

“Stamp duty doesn’t affect most of us. It only affects you when you’re selling a house, buying a house,” he said.

Nonetheless, in what was seen as an example of auction politics, his party, Fianna Fáil, this week unveiled in its election manifesto a commitment to abolish stamp duty for all first-time buyers.

The alternative coalition of Fine Gael and Labour has also promised to reform stamp duty if returned to power after the election, although its proposals differ to those of Fianna Fáil.

Meanwhile, the figures were identical for the economy, with 2% of respondents saying it was the most important election issue.

Again, like stamp duty, 10% said the economy was among the most important issues.

These relatively low figures may suggest the public remains confident of future economic growth, despite rising inflation and the recent sluggishness in the housing sector.

Another issue widely discussed in recent months — that of climate change — proved a priority for few respondents in the poll.

Just 1% of people said they would consider it among the most important election issues.

That may be a concern to the Green Party, which is expecting a strong bounce in support at the election on the basis of its environmentally-friendly policies.