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FINE GAEL AND Labour could be within touching distance of re-election, according to a new poll carried out for TheJournal.ie in the final days of the campaign.
Fine Gael is on 32% with Labour on 8%, giving the coalition parties a combined 40% that would be close to the 42% or 43% it would need in order to be in a position to return to government.
However, while Fine Gael is well on course to be the largest party in the 32nd Dáil, much will depend on Labour’s willingness to go back into government if it returns only a handful of TDs, as the poll suggests it might.
The poll was conducted for this website by market research students at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) who interviewed a random sample of over 1,000 adults between last Friday and Monday.
The poll indicates that Fine Gael, which has averaged 30% in the final opinion polls of the campaign, is on course to do slightly better on election day.
Although Enda Kenny’s party will be 4 percentage points down from its 2011 result, it is on course to be the largest party. However it will be significantly short of the 76 seats it won five years ago.
The poll has Labour well down on its 2011 result when it achieved 19% and took a historic 37 Dáil seats. On 8% in this poll, it’s unclear how many seats this would secure for Joan Burton’s party but less than 15 could make it difficult to return to government.
Fine Gael’s other possible coalition partner, Fianna Fáil, is on 20%, an improvement on the 17% support it secured in 2011 when it returned a historically low 20 seats.
Micheál Martin’s party has enjoyed a strong campaign with many expecting it to outperform the opinion polls on election day and boost its seat numbers significantly.
Fianna Fáil figures have repeatedly ruled out doing any form of post-election deal with Fine Gael and maintained that it wants to be the largest party and lead the next government.
Sinn Féin is on 15%, five percentage points higher than its 2011 result when it secured 14 seats.
The party is widely expected to increase its number of Dáil seats, but it has said repeatedly it will not go into government unless it is the largest party.
Independents are on 14%, while among the smaller parties the newly-formed Social Democrats come out on top with 4%.
This comes as the SocDems expect to win a handful of seats off the back of the strong performance of one of its leaders, Stephen Donnelly, in the second TV debate.
The Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit party is on 2%, as is Renua Ireland. The Green Party, which lost all six of its Dáil seats in 2011, is also on 2%.
The students interviewed a random sample of 1,014 adults between Friday 19 and Monday 22 February.
Interviews were conducted across the country using a random digit-dialing method involving a mix of both mobile and landline numbers which were used to ensure a random selection.
The results were weighted by age, gender, region and social grade and likelihood to vote according to election records.
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“Feel this sweater, there’s no better
Than authentic Irish setter.
See this hat, ’twas my cat.
My evening wear, vampire bat”
“Anita, DAAAAAAAHling…”
@William Clay: Beat me to it. Gonna be stuck in my head all day.
@William Clay: These white slippers are albino African endangered rhino. .
No I’d only wear the real thing
@Quiet Goer ye off the stalls in town is it
By original owner you mean the original buyer not someone who got it from a charity shop?
@Quiet Goer: you must be all furniture coat and no knickers
@Jlocoroco: I reckon Dave Hogan is referring to the original owner as being the animal whose back the fur was ripped from. He is indeed correct. Nothing as ugly as a human wearing fur. Sadly there are numerous fur farm operating in the Republic of Ireland. We’re a backward nation when it comes it animal rights and welfare.
Haha all those people saying they hate fur while eating their rasher sandwich and drinking their glass of milk and wearing their €2.99 jumper made in a sweat shop in Bangladesh
@Sideshow Brendan: They also remain curiously selective when it comes to animal skins. As someone on the Grauniad pointed out, a small woman in a fur coat probably makes an easier target than a large biker kitted from head to toe in leather….
It takes 200 beautiful animals to make a fur coat but only 1 ugly person to wear it!!
Hopefully the meat gets put to good use too
Don’t look at me that way!! that family of Mink died and left me everything.
@Olive Whyte: please let us know how beautiful those mink are next time you come face to face. Vicious little buggers they are. Kills for sport not food.
I’d were fake no problem to me its cosy and warm and doesn’t effect poor helpless animals .. Its disgusting to wear another animals fur on your body there really is no need for it
Do you also refuse to wear leather?
@IrishPolly: Given that more than half the world’s fake fur comes from China and we all know how ethical and animal friendly those lads are how sure are you that fur trim on clothes from cheaper shops isn’t german shepard or persian cat?
@IrishPolly: Given that more than half the world’s fake fur comes from China and we all know how ethical and animal friendly those lads are how sure are you that fur trim on clothes from cheaper shops isn’t german shepard or persian cat?
@IrishPolly: you could say there is no need fur it IrishPolly….
Anna Bee I’m sure a Penney’s coat isn’t real fur
@IrishPolly: I’m sure you’re right, I mean look at how well the workers who make their clothes are treated…
Anna Bee to be fair they make decent clothes tho and it’s not animals what’s ur issue anyways … Where do u shop?
Absolutely, better than the real thing.
Animals are often alive and fully conscious when their skin is ripped from them. Raccoon dogs thrown into heaps.
Whimpering in agony they animals, die a slow painful death for no good reason. People who joke about this make me sick.
@Jackson: Link?
If that link is taken down, search YouTube for Racoon dogs skinned alive in China. That also use Dogs & cats…
Ya I love it. It looks great.
The real fur looks better on the animal…..
WOULD YOU WEAR HUMAN SKIN?
@Robert O’Rourke: we all do, our own.
Far more animals die to produce cotton clothing than do making fur clothing.
Yes and I’d be happy to eat fake meat too.
Wearing fake fur is like wearing glasses with no lenses. What’s the point.
First world problems.
Who says no? Come on guys and gals, why hose cruelty over compassion?
I would be happy if I didn’t see such a stupid article like this again. Thank you
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