SUPPORT FOR FINE Gael has risen four percentage points to 27%, making it the most popular party ahead of Sinn Féin.

Meanwhile, Simon Harris’ approval rating has risen to 55%, making him the most popular party leader.

The Irish Times/Ipsos poll shows that the Fine Gael party is up four percentage points since the last poll early in the summer, not long after Harris took over.

Sinn Féin is on 20% (down three) and Fianna Fáil is on 19% (down one).

Support for Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has declined from 36% to 30%.

‘Out-poll the polls’

Tánaiste Micheal Martin has said he is not worried about the support that Simon Harris appears to have garnered, as he pledged to “out-poll the polls”.

Martin said that while his party is in “a distant” third place, they still won the most council seats.

Fianna Fail emerged as the largest party in local government, with 248 seats, with Fine Gael close behind on 245.

The Fianna Fail leader said: “So, a lot of work to be done. It’s all there to play for and we’re going to work very hard at constituency level, national level, and then we do everything we can to out-poll the polls.”

Among the smaller parties the Green Party is at 5% (up one), Labour has 6% (up one) and the Social Democrats has 4% (up one).

Support for both People Before Profit, which is on 2%, and Aontú, which is on 1%, remained unchanged.

Some 20% of voters are currently undecided about who they’d vote for if an election was called. 

The positive ratings for Harris and his party are likely to put more pressure on the Taoiseach to call an election.