Kenny: FG needs to get behind Mitchell

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that Fine Gael needs to get behind its candidate for the Presidential election.

The latest Ipsos MRBI opinion poll published today puts Gay Mitchell second from last of the seven candidates on just 9% support, just ahead of Dana who is on 6%

Support has also fallen away from David Norris who is now on just 11%.

Labour candidate Michael D. Higgins leads the field with 23% of support according to the poll.

Seán Gallagher is now in second place on 20% and Martin McGuinness third on 19%, the poll indicated..

However Mr Kenny was not conceding defeat for Mr Mitchell.

"(It is) never too late for a candidate to win an election" he said. “We are going to get all of the resources that the Fine Gael party has around the country in behind Gay Mitchell.

“(We will) express to people his credentials and his experience to do an outstanding job.”

Some commentators attributed Mr Mitchell’s poor showing to his combative campaigning, and particularly his attacks on Mr McGuinness.

"It's absolutely earth-shattering for Fine Gael, who are on 40% in the popular opinion polls, to see their Presidential candidate on 9%,” said Fianna Fáil TD for Limerick Niall Collins.

“People don't like negative campaigning and he has gone directly (into) hand-to-hand combat trying to tackle Martin McGuinness.

"I think that has backfired in a big, big way.”

Speaking to Shannonside News this morning, Mr McGuinness agreed.

“What I intend to do is continue to move forward with a positive agenda,” he said. “We’ve seen that those people who have a negative agenda have been punished.

“My experiences in the peace process in the North clearly show that the only way you can go forward is by having a very positive and constructive message.”

Meanwhile for his part, Mr Gallagher said he does not set much store in opinion poll results.

Speaking to Kfm, Mr Gallagher said that what's important is the support he encounters on the campaign trail.

“The real feeling for me is out on the ground meeting people and I don’t take too much notice of the polls,” he said.

“But I am heartened by the increasing support I am getting.

“It really is now about getting to the message – I think much of this campaign has been overshadowed by controversy and by debate about the past.

“I don’t think that serves us well – I think we need now to get to the present and more importantly, to start focusing on the future.”