A new opinion poll has found that Fine Gael is the country’s most popular political party, although it also highlights how closely contested the race remains, with the party leading Sinn Féin by just one point and Fianna Fáil by three points.
The findings are contained in the latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll, which was released this evening, reports RTE.
The survey shows Fine Gael has gained one percentage point since the previous poll and now stands at 20%.
It indicates that Sinn Féin has slipped one point to 19%, while Fianna Fáil has increased by one point to 17%, reports RTE.
Among the remaining parties, the Social Democrats remain unchanged at 12%, Independent Ireland has dropped two points to 7%, while Aontú is steady at 6%.
Labour remains on 3%, the Green Party is also unchanged on 3%, and People Before Profit-Solidarity stays at 2%, while support for Independents has risen by one point to 11%, reports RTE.
The poll was conducted on 3 July using a sample of 1,279 respondents and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8%.
It also suggests there has been little movement in the popularity ratings of the party leaders, reports RTE.
According to the survey, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns continues to be the country’s most popular leader, although her personal approval has fallen by one point to 40% compared with last month.
Support for Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin remains unchanged at 35%, while Fine Gael leader Simon Harris stays on 33%. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald’s approval has fallen by one point to 30%, and Labour leader Ivana Bacik has dropped two points to 28%, reports RTE.
A separate Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks survey found that Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan is the public’s preferred choice to become the next leader of Fianna Fáil.
The poll places Mr O’Callaghan on 52%, ahead of Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary on 17% and Fianna Fáil deputy leader and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers on 16%, reports RTE.
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