Paul Hosford: Coalition rebounds in polls but a long way to go to catch Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin will not be hitting the panic button at the coalition's improved ratings, with support for the party at 35%, even if it is down a percentage point

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald effectively disappeared from media after the budget in the wake of a Shane Ross book about her. File picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

A welcome reprieve for the coalition or the further establishment of a new status quo?

As with everything, the latest Irish Times/Ipsos opinion poll is a matter of perspective. With what Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath called "a long way" to go to the next scheduled election, rebounds for all three coalition parties in the month after the budget (Fine Gael up four points to 22%, Fianna Fáil up one to 21% and the Greens up one to 4%), will bolster confidence going into December's transition of the office of Taoiseach, with nearly half of voters showing a preference for the Government parties.