Poll suggests drop in support for Sinn Féin but rise for Aontú and Independents

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald speaking to the media at Dublin Castle. Picture: Damien Storan/PA Wire

Support for Sinn Féin has dropped in the latest opinion poll, with a rise for Aontú and Independents.

The Red C poll for the Business Post shows support for Sinn Féin has dropped to 25%, down three points from the previous month. They still remain the most popular party in the country.

Support for Fine Gael is down one point at 19%, but the survey was conducted before Leo Varadkar resigned as party leader.

Fianna Fáil remains at 16%, with the green party up by one to four per cent.

The poll was taken after the resounding no vote in the two referendums, with support for Aontú jumping to its highest level of 5%.

This was also reflected in a rise of support for independents, who are now at 17%.

The Social Democrats are down one point to 6%, with Labour also down one point to 3%.

People Before Profit-Solidarity remains unchanged at 3%.

Simon Harris

In a separate Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks opinion poll the majority of voters would have preferred Simon Coveney or Paschal Donohoe as Taoiseach rather than Higher Education Minister Simon Harris.

Only 16% of respondents are in favour of Mr Harris succeeding Leo Varadkar while 21% expressed support for Mr Coveney and Mr Donohoe.

However, among Fine Gael supporters one-third backed Mr Harris with only a quarter backing Mr Coveney and Mr Donohoe.

Asylum seekers

Three in five people support proposals to process asylum seekers outside of the European Union before they enter Ireland.

A Red C poll in today's Business Post asked if people would support controversial new proposals from the European People's Party, to process international protection applicants in "safe" third-party countries, in North Africa or the Middle East.

The EPP proposals have been likened to the UK government's Rwanda policy which proposes to move asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, while they are being processed.

Around 60% of 1,000 people asked said they would support such proposals, 16% would not support them and 24% said they did not know.