'We are not laughing now': FG TDs anxious after 19% poll result

Leo Varadkar's 'Dublin-centric' leadership and attempt to woo 'millenial' voters are among the causes of the party's poor performance, according to worried Fine Gael TDs

A number of rural Fine Gael TDs hit out at the 'Dublin-centric' tone of Leo Varadkar's leadership. File picture

Fine Gael TDs have expressed their “unease and disquiet” following the party’s support rating of just 19% in a weekend opinion poll.

Several party TDs have accused the party leadership including Leo Varadkar, the Tánaiste, of allowing a disconnect to emerge with backbenchers and the wider public.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, TDs expressed their worry that the party support slumped despite the fact that Mr Varadkar was highly visible in the past week with daily press appearances and that he “got to play Taoiseach” with Micheál Martin stuck in isolation in Washington DC.

A number of rural TDs hit out at the “Dublin-centric” feel of the Varadkar regime saying that, by chasing “millennial” voters who will never stick with Fine Gael, the party is actively alienating its traditional core supporters.

According to one TD, Mr Varadkar was exhibiting “signs of panic” in the past week by flying kites such as the possibility of a third 30% rate of income tax, which is seen as “highly unlikely”.

Some noticed that in certain age categories, the party has been overtaken by Fianna Fáil who have trailed Fine Gael in most demographic categories since the 2020 general election. One senior TD said: 

Two years ago, we were laughing at Fianna Fáil for being down in the teens in terms of support, thinking we’d never drop that low. We are not laughing now.

In response to the Irish Examiner, a spokesman for Mr Varadkar said another poll two weeks ago had Fine Gael at 24%, up 4%, which he said would see the party gaining seats at the next election.

Sinn Féin remains the most popular party by a considerable distance, according to the Red C poll carried out for the Business Post.

Sinn Féin, led by Mary Lou McDonald, is at 33%, significantly ahead of Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael and Micheál Martin’s Fianna Fáil. According to the poll: 

• Support for Fianna Fáil now sits at 16%.
• The Green Party, led by Eamon Ryan, remains at 5%.
• The Social Democrats are at 5% in the poll, a rise of a single percentage point.
• The Labour Party, which also rose to 5%, will be hoping that the election of Ivana Bacik as leader will help further boost the party’s ailing fortunes in the polls.
• People Before Profit sits at 3% support nationwide, while Aontu is at 2%.
• Support for Independents remains at 11%.

The poll, carried out by Red C, saw 1,001 adults aged over 18 surveyed online between March 18-23.

Meanwhile, leading Fianna Fáil TD and former minister Barry Cowen has ruled out any heave against Mr Martin saying hopeful Jim O’Callaghan has lost ground.