MOST VOTERS don’t believe the soon-to-be-introduced water charges will be applied in a fair manner, according to a new poll for the Sunday Independent.

Just over three out of four voters (76 per cent, to be exact) said they did not believe the charges would be “fair and equitable” according to the findings of the Millward Brown survey, published today.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said last month that the new scheme would be “as fair and equitable and as affordable as possible”.

The paper has also published its poll results for the Dublin European elections constituency today — they show Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan poised to capitalise on anti-Government sentiment, topping the poll on 23 per cent.

Fine Gael junior minister Brian Hayes also looks set to take a seat, on 22 per cent in today’s survey.  Nessa Childers, the former Labour MEP now running as an independent, is on 13 per cent and in a battle for the third seat in the constituency with Fianna Fáil’s Mary Fitzpatrick (11 per cent) and Labour’s Emer Costello (10 per cent).

Further down the list in the capital, Socialist Paul Murphy is on 7 points, as is Green Party leader and former minister Eamon Ryan. Brid Smith of People before Profit is on 6 per cent.

A poll in today’s Sunday Times also puts Lynn Boylan in the top spot in Dublin on 19 per cent, with Brian Hayes in the second spot on 16. Fianna Fáil’s Fitzpatrick is polling at 12 per cent in the Times survey, followed by Ryan and Childers (both 11).

In Midlands-North West, the Behaviour and Analysis poll shows that Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness (21) and Independent Luke Ming Flanagan (17) in line to take the first two seats, with Matt Carthy of Sinn Féin on 14 per cent and Independent Marian Harkin on 12.

Perennial poll-topper Brian Crowley of Fianna Fáil looks set for more electoral success in Ireland South, meanwhile — on 35 points, according to the Times’ findings today. Another sitting MEP, FG’s Sean Kelly, is on 17 per cent, followed by Liadh Ní Riada of Sinn Féin in third on 14. Two more Fine Gael candidates — Deirdre Clune (10) and Simon Harris (8) — are in contention for the fourth seat, with Labour’s Phil Prendergast on five per cent.

There are four seats up for grabs in both Midlands North-West and Ireland South. The Irish Independent released the findings of its latest polling for the two constituencies yesterday morning.

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