Poll shows major support for second Presidential term for Michael D Higgins

More than three quarters of Irish voters want Michael D Higgins to serve a second term as President.

Some 76% said they would back him, with 24% opposed. President Higgins was elected to office in 2011.

The poll in today's Irish Daily Mail also shows a slight rise in support for Fine Gael, which now stands on 32%, up one point since the last comparable Irish Daily Mail/Ireland Thinks poll in June.

Fianna Fáil is up three points to 29%, while Sinn Féin is down 2% to 14%, Labour on 5% are also down two percentage points while the Green Party drop one to sit at 3%.

Independents and others are on 12%, a one-point increase, while Solidarity-People Before Profit and the Social Democrats are each unchanged on 2%.

The survey of more than 1,000 voters was taken over six days at the beginning of the month before the Dáil returned from its summer break.