Poll: FF may lose out in battle for final Euro seats

Fianna Fáil is unlikely to retain its six seats the European election, according to an Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll published today.

In the Dublin constituency, Gay Mitchell is set to top the poll at 25%, up five points on the last poll.

Lord Mayor Royston Brady’s lead has shrunk from five points to two over his Fianna Fáil running mate, Eoin Ryan, while the gap between the two Labour candidates has also narrowed. Sitting Labour MEP, Pronsias de Rossa, is now just two percentage points ahead of his running mate, Ivana Bacik’s 10%.

Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald is up one point to 12%, while support for Green MEP, Patricia McKenna stands at 8%.

In the East constituency, Liam Aylward of Fianna Fáil looks set to secure 26% of the vote, while the Fine Gael vote is split evenly between sitting MEP, Avril Doyle, at 17%, and Maireád McGuinness, at 16%.

Labour’s Peter Cassells is on 12%, a drop of two points.

In the South constituency, Fiann a Fáil’s Brian Crowley is on 32 per cent, with Simon Coveney of Fine Gael coming in second at 23%.

Mr Crowley’s running mate, Gerry Collins, dropped three points to 14%, while disability rights campaigner Kathy Sinnott’s support has jumped six points to 15%.

Crowley’s transfers are likely to go to Mr Collins, leaving the final seat very much in the balance.

In the North-West region, the 18% support for Jim McDaid of Fianna Fáil now equals that of FF counterpart, Seán Ó Neachtain, who stands at 17%.

Independent candidate, Marian Harkin, is on 16% and is set to take another seat, possibly at the expense of Dana Rosemary Scallon, who is on 10%.

Fine Gael’s Jim Higgins is on 16%, and will challenge the second FF candidate for the final seat.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty also polled highly at 15%, but may have difficulty in attracting transfers.