Fianna Fáil and Greens see support slip but Fine Gael and Soc Dems increase in latest poll
Eamon Ryan's (L) Green Party and Micheál Martin (R)'s Fianna Fáil have both slipped in the latest poll, but Fine Gael and leader Leo Varadar (C) have seen their support increase. File Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie
Both Fianna Fáil and the Greens have seen their support slip during the eviction ban political tussle, while the Social Democrats have been lifted by their new leader Holly Cairns, the latest Business Post/Red C poll suggests.
Only Fine Gael from the three Government parties seems to have escaped any political fallout from the eviction ban row which has consumed Irish politics in recent days, with its support actually rising slightly since the last poll.
Sinn Féin remains far out in front compared to the other parties, maintaining its 31% of first preference voting intention among the more than 1,000 adults sampled online at random between St Patrick's Day and Wednesday, March 22.
Fine Gael rose by one point to 22%, while Fianna Fáil has seen their two-point gain from the last poll slip away, leaving them currently at 15%.
The Green Party has seen its support drop one point to 3%, but the Social Democrats, buoyed by the coronation of West Cork TD Holly Cairns in recent weeks, has risen to 6%, or two points up from the last poll.
Ivana Bacik's Labour Party, which had its annual conference this weekend in Cork, remains at 4%, while PBP-Solidarity and Aontú also remain the same at 3% and 2% respectively.
Support for independents is down a point since the previous poll, at 12% currently.
Fine Gael, traditionally seen as sympathetic to landlords along with their major coalition partners Fianna Fáil, will feel they have largely ridden out the eviction ban controversy but it could be argued that a toll has been taken on the Greens, with Neasa Hourigan being suspended for defying her party leadership and the Government by voting to extend the ban, garnering much support for doing so among social media users.
