The latest opinion poll indicates that public support for Independent candidates has risen dramatically.
Almost a third (31pc, to be precise, a full 5pc jump from the last poll) of the electorate have said that they will vote for an Independent candidate at next election.
The poll’s results also indicate that Fianna Fáil is down three points to 18pc, Sinn Fein is down two points to 17pc.
Fine Gael remains unchanged at 24, and Labour is down one point, still in single digits at 8pc.