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Niall Carson/PA

Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil tied for top spot, new opinion poll suggests

The Business Post/Red C poll has Sinn Féin up five points at 24%.

SUPPORT FOR SINN Féin has increased once again according to a new opinion poll, putting the party in joint first place alongside Fianna Fáil. 

The Business Post/Red C poll has Sinn Féin up five points at 24%, Fianna Fáil on 24% and Fine Gael on 21%.

This poll of 1,000 voters follows on from yesterday’s Panelbase poll for The Times that saw support for Sinn Féin jump ahead of Fine Gael for the first time this general election campaign and only trailing Fianna Fáil by two points.

With less than one week until polling day, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are both down by two points respectively on the last comparable poll earlier this month.

Despite recent opinion polls revealing that Sinn Féin is continuing to perform well, both leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have ruled out going into coalition with Mary Lou McDonald.

Leo Varadkar said he does not trust Fianna Fáil not to go into government with Sinn Féin, while Fianna Fáil has accused Fine Gael of the same.

Meanwhile, the Green Party is down one point to 7%,  while Labour is up one to 5%.

Independents are down two points to 10%, while the Social Democrats are unchanged at 3%, with Solidarity-PBP down one at 1%.

Aontú is up one point on 2% support, while other parties are listed as having 1%, according to this Red C poll.

Responding to the results of the poll, RTÉ released a statement about its leaders’ debate on Tuesday, to say that they would continue to consider “representations made”. 

Sinn Féin has repeatedly called for its leader Mary Lou to be included in the leaders debate; RTÉ has defended it’s decision to keep it between Martin and Varadkar as the two candidates to be Taoiseach, based on previous electoral results.

Off the back of this poll, it can be argued that Sinn Féin is as likely to lead a government as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

RTÉ’s statement today said: “At the outset of the election RTÉ set out its approach to leaders debates based on empirical data. That has not changed.

“Throughout the campaign RTÉ has considered representations made by those contesting the election regarding our coverage and leaders debates. We will continue to give consideration to any representation made.”

The telephone poll of 1000 voters was carried between 25 and 30 January, and the margin of error is plus or minus 3%.

Updated by Gráinne Ní Aodha

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    Mute John Fagan
    Favourite John Fagan
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:45 AM

    If the DUP are criticising you then you know you are doing something right.

    962
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    Mute A Well Known Comical Stereotype
    Favourite A Well Known Comical Stereotype
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:33 AM

    Gary Lineker – my new favourite English footballer.

    598
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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:39 PM

    @A Well Known Comical Stereotype: Thought the DUP were very busy looking through the Windsor Framework Agreement. Obviously not.

    247
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    Mute Darren Lynch
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    Mar 9th 2023, 2:37 PM

    @A Well Known Comical Stereotype: na, he scored against us in the 1990 world cup. Cant forgive him!!!

    11
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    Mute Bri Lyons
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:57 AM

    Pity the DUPs ancestors didn’t follow their own anti immigrant stance and not cross on boats to Ireland

    669
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    Mute Con Cussed
    Favourite Con Cussed
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:42 AM

    Easy for the DUP to call him a lefty. Attila, the Hun is left of the DUP thinking.

    He’s on a free salary for not adhering to democratic principles and forming an Assembly.

    382
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    Mute SquideyeMagpie
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:34 AM

    Wasn’t sure but now I know he was right

    365
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    Mute Michael Garvey
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:41 AM

    @SquideyeMagpie: yup. Good old Gregory. Scandalous apparently to treat people in dire circumstances with basic compassion.

    256
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:14 PM

    The Tory Party and the BBC had no problem when Lineker criticised the Human rights record of Qatar which hosted the World Cup. Lineker now faces the Director General of the BBC Douglas Davie who was politically appointed by the Tory Party as he was a major financial donor to the Conservative Party. Seems free speech is a one way street at the BBB and the Tory government. Well done Gary Lineker.

    312
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    Mute ConPhoto
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:44 AM

    something is wrong somewhere if a football pundit’s comment about an issue, is getting more coverage and reaction than that of the actual issue.
    Bear in mind the issue involves men, women and children’s lives.

    301
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    Mute Owen G Mc Ginley
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:13 PM

    I suppose the DUP will now add this demand of a Salary reduction for Lineker, as the 8th test to be met for accepting the new Windsor Protocol Agreement

    174
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    Mute Con Cussed
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    Mar 9th 2023, 2:00 PM

    @Owen G Mc Ginley: They are complaining about Lineker and his salary and the same person sits on his … and receives a salary for doing nothing! Unbelievable the way they preach what about, “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you”?

    On the other sides, does this mean that the DUP will be moving back to Scotland via Rwanda?

    112
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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Mar 9th 2023, 6:45 PM

    @Owen G Mc Ginley: At lest Gary Lineker goes to work, unlike the DUP who refuses.

    41
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    Mute Brian Boru
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:37 AM

    It’s not often I agree with the DUP!

    168
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    Mute Con Cussed
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:43 AM

    @Brian Boru: Well says a lot about you!

    477
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    Mute Ciaran Forde
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    Mar 9th 2023, 2:06 PM

    @Brian Boru: another boring comment from Brian Boru.

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    Mute Brian Boru
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    Mar 9th 2023, 4:38 PM

    @Ciaran Forde: You want everyone to have the same opinion, how boring is that.

    15
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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:37 AM

    Imagine the dup aren’t happy with something or someone. SEACHT

    159
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    Mute A$AP ETH
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:49 PM

    Showing any bit of empathy these days is dismissed as ‘lefty’ behaviour. Sad.

    116
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    Mute Karl Phillips
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:38 PM

    The DUP, squatters in another country. We are getting very near the F word folks.

    135
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    Mute Leonard Barry
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:51 PM

    DUP and Braverman two of a kind!!!

    95
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    Mute Eugene O Doherty
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:58 PM

    @Leonard Barry: agree, immigrants to another country

    70
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    Mute John Mcmahon
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    Mar 9th 2023, 1:34 PM

    Always liked Gary Lineker being a Spurs fan
    But like him more now
    A nice human being

    81
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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:53 AM

    Champaign communist if ever, some might say. Not I, as I couldn’t care less about this milky minded individual locked tight within his guilded cage far away from reality of the normal hardworking joe.

    92
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    Mute Tom Hogarty
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:25 PM

    @Keth Warsaw: what would it take for you to care less enough to hold off on the inane, uninteresting, bland and negative comments?

    136
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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Mar 9th 2023, 1:35 PM

    @Tom Hogarty: I think calling my comments inane and uninteresting are a tad strong. Same comments grabbed your attention. As for negativity…I’d rather reflect the realities of life and build upon sound ground than be an idealistic dreamer building upon Sand. But I thank you for your interest in my bland comments.

    27
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    Mute Calvin James
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:01 PM

    Waiting patiently for the free speech brigade to rally behind Gary

    48
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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:14 PM

    @Calvin James: you mean the free speech brigade who are trying to tell him to shut up because they don’t agree with him?

    104
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    Mute Jen Mc
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:26 PM

    @Calvin James: I think you’re confused as to who the free speech brigade are pal.

    55
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    Mute A Well Known Comical Stereotype
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:45 PM

    The Tory “Stop the boats” slogan and the associated BS are carbon copies of the trick used in Australia by the Aussie Tories. Braverman’s “We will decide who comes to this country” is exactly what John Howard said. The attacks on Labour along the lines of ‘you won’t protect our borders’ is the same. It won a few elections for the Aussie Tories. I think this won’t be enough to save them in the next election but it might. It is outrageous.

    53
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:37 AM

    For a nano second i thought there might be something worth reporting here / something something the DUP / Immigration policies in the UK / Christ how lazy / bad are Irish media becoming / it’s not like there aren’t an enormous amount of very important issues facing Ireland daily / this is just lazy / go thru the motions posting of UK click bait nonsense

    66
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Mar 9th 2023, 11:46 AM

    @Dave Hammond: Welcome, in case you’re wondering the toilet is all around you.

    23
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:58 PM

    @thesaltyurchin: cheers it’s the exit doors I’m looking for …

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    Mute A$AP ETH
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    Mar 9th 2023, 1:42 PM

    @Dave Hammond: tell you what, exit doors are on the way out.

    8
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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Mar 9th 2023, 1:49 PM

    If he was an intellectual, I might take his comments seriously, and reflect upon them. But this is a former footballer who advertised crisps.

    24
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    Mute Dick Barrett
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    Mar 9th 2023, 2:15 PM

    I would say that as Gary Lineker is a BBC sports and not a news commentator, he can say what he likes about other matters, even if what he says is a bit OTT like in this instance.

    13
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    Mute Liam
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    Mar 9th 2023, 5:37 PM

    The DUP should help sprinkle the football pitches for the weekend matches with their tears.

    10
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    Mute Michael Powell
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    Mar 9th 2023, 3:24 PM

    It will be interesting to see just how Foxy BBC is prepared to be about this.

    7
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