Fine Gael has '48 hours to turn things around' after weekend blows

Party sources said that the Taoiseach's swift apology to Ms Fallon was to be commended, but accepted that the optics and timing of the incident were a problem

Former taoiseach Enda Kenny, right, joins Simon Harris at West Airport Knock, Mayo, as the campaign enters the final week. Picture: Fergal Phillips/Released on behalf of Fine Gael

Fine Gael believes it has 48 hours to turn its fortunes around as Simon Harris scrambles to overcome a slide in the polls and his own personal misstep.

The party suffered two blows in its election campaign over the weekend. A poll showed it dropped four points, giving Fine Gael just a two-point lead over Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. Most notable, however, was the fallout from Taoiseach's interaction with a carer in a Kanturk supermarket on Friday.