FG slips to 23% in polls as FF unchanged

FINE GAEL leader Enda Kenny will have cause for concern this morning after an opinion poll showed his party continuing to lose support.

Although the party is focused on ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in next Thursday’s referendum, the poll results will come as a worry for Fine Gael given that next year’s local and EU elections are looming.

Fine Gael has slipped to 23%, down three points since the corresponding poll last month and down eight points since January.

Fianna Fáil, by contrast, remains unchanged on 42% — marginally better than the party’s election performance last year which saw it returned to power.

But Taoiseach Brian Cowen is under pressure to turn that high level of support into yes votes for the Lisbon Treaty.

Labour also remained unchanged in the poll on 15% — some five points higher than its election showing last year.

Sinn Féin is on 8%, up two points since last month, and the Green Party has increased by one point to 5%.

The PDs, however, remain mired on just 1% of the vote. Independents and others remain unchanged at 6%.

Meanwhile, there was further bad news for Mr Kenny as the poll showed his personal approval ratings had slipped four points to 35%.

He was not alone, however, as all the other party leaders suffered similar falls.

While Mr Cowen remains the most popular party leader, his support has slipped five points to 47%.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has also slipped five points to 35%, while his Green Party counterpart John Gormley is down four points to 40%.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is down three points to 45% and PD leader

Ciarán Cannon is down one point to 15%.

The poll was carried out by TNS MRBI for the Irish Times and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.