FG 'disappointed' with poll findings - Bruton

Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton has admitted the party is disappointed with its ratings in a new poll.

Fine Gael has lost its position as the second party in Ireland to Labour, according to the findings in today's Irish Times.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s approval rating was down three points to 26%.

His party was also overtaken by Labour as the second most popular choice - support for Labour rose to 22% while Fine Gael fell to 20%.

Mr Bruton said, however, that the poll fully exposed the Government’s "fraudulent election".

"There are positive things,” he said. “Of course, we are disappointed that we aren’t doing better in the polls.”

He said Fine Gael had had to rebuild and reorganise itself, and that this was why progress was slow.

Mr Bruton added: “There is an expectation that it will take time and Enda (Kenny) has been putting his work into building that strong team for the longer term.

“The problem is that turning an oil tanker after a defeat of the nature that we have had takes time, and the energy of the party has had to go into rebuilding and strengthening the team around Enda Kenny.”

Satisfaction with the Bertie Ahern-led Government has reached its lowest point since he took power in 1997.

Respondents said they thought the leadership had failed to deliver on its election promises in all policy areas.

Mr Ahern was overtaken in the poll by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte and Tánaiste Mary Harney.

Just over a quarter of voters said they were satisfied with the Government’s performance, down 33 points on last May’s general election, while 65% said they were dissatisfied.

Mr Ahern’s performance ratings were also down, with respondents to the Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll expressing a 41% satisfaction rate.

The Taoiseach was well behind Pat Rabbitte, with 49% of voters pledging their support for him – although he may have benefited from last weekend’s Labour Party conference.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams saw a four-point increase in satisfaction ratings to 48%, with just 25% dissatisfied with him and 27% having no opinion.

Tánaiste Mary Harney was supported by 45% of respondents, although 43% were dissatisfied with her performance.

Only 5% of voters said the current Fianna Fail-Progressive Democrats Government had delivered on its health promises, and 16% on the economy.

On Northern Ireland, just over a third said it had delivered, while 51% said it had not and 13% had no opinion.

The poll was conducted among a national sample of 1,000 voters at 100 points and was timed to mark tomorrow’s first anniversary of the 2002 general election.