Left behind
Mr Higgins upped the attacks on his rival yesterday, attempting to link former Dragons’ Den star Mr Gallagher to the excesses of the Celtic Tiger.
The Labour candidate said his achievements had been in the Dáil rather than in the “Companies Office”, adding: “I’m in favour of a social economy. I am not trying to revive the Celtic Tiger’s excesses.”
But the desperate last-ditch attempt to halt Mr Gallagher’s momentum looks unlikely to work, with the three polls all showing the front-runner in a commanding position.
* The Ipsos MRBI-Irish Times poll, published last night, showed Mr Gallagher on 40%, compared with 25% for Mr Higgins.
* The Red C-Sunday Business Post poll also showed Mr Gallagher on 40%, with Mr Higgins on 26%.
* The Behaviour & Attitudes/Sunday Times poll showed Mr Gallagher on 38%, compared with 26% for Mr Higgins.
The B&A poll was taken last Monday and Tuesday — before new revelations emerged about Mr Gallagher’s Fianna Fáil links and business dealings.
But the other two polls were taken later in the week, with the Ipsos MRBI poll being conducted on Thursday and Friday when the scrutiny of both issues was at its height.
The findings seem to indicate that neither issue has affected Mr Gallagher’s support.
Responding to questions about his financial affairs yesterday, Mr Gallagher insisted he was fully tax compliant and had “no issues in that regard”.
He added: “I can reassure the good people of Ireland that, if honoured, I will serve with dignity and decorum both at home and abroad.”
He said he was “heartened” by the polls “but not in any way complacent”.
He refused to engage in a row with Mr Higgins, saying he did not wish to criticise rival candidates.
Transport Minister Leo Varadkar raised the possibility of a voting pact to get Mr Higgins across the line, saying he would like to see Fine Gael voters giving their second preferences to the Labour candidate.
But Mr Gallagher dismissed the pact as “old party politics”, and insisted he was genuinely independent, despite his past campaign efforts for Fianna Fáil.
Voting will begin today on the islands off Donegal, with other islands to vote tomorrow and Wednesday, before the rest of the country goes to the polls on Thursday.
