Sinn Féin still most popular party as Fianna Fáil extends lead over Fine Gael

Both Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald are level at 51% in terms of satisfaction ratings Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Sinn Féin remains the most popular political party, while Fianna Fáil has extended its lead over coalition partners Fine Gael, a new opinion poll suggests.

Support for Sinn Féin remains unchanged at 34% since January 23 keeping them in the top spot. Fianna Fáil, however, has gone up by one point to 25% while support for Fine Gael has dropped two points to 20%.

The Sunday Times/ Behaviour and Attitude Poll also suggests both Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald are level at 51% in terms of satisfaction ratings after the Taoiseach received a three-point increase and the Sinn Féin president went up two.

Meanwhile, satisfaction ratings for Tánaiste Leo Varadkar went up three points to 44%, while Green Party leader Eamon Ryan remains unchanged at 33%.

Overall satisfaction with the Government is up two points to 46%.

Labour leader Alan Kelly is up one point to 43%, however, support for the Labour party itself remains unchanged at 4%.

The Green Party have gained a two-point rise bringing them to 5% while the Social Democrats have gained one point bringing them up to 2% and Solidarity People Before Profit has fallen one point to 1%.

Independents have received a one-point bump to 9%.

The poll findings are based on a survey of 928 eligible voters, in face-to-face interviews conducted from January 27 to February 8. The margin of error is 3.3%.