The latest Red C poll shows Fianna Fáil closing in on Fine Gael, only trailing behind by 1 per cent. Support for Fianna Fáil has increased by 3 points, reaching 21 per cent, while Fine Gael remains firmly in the lead at 22 per cent. This puts the two parties in the ideal position to form another coalition government together, positioning both parties as crucial players in the next election. To put this rise into perspective, in October 2023, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil were over 10 points behind Sinn Féin, whose popularity stood at 32 per cent.
Regarding Sinn Féin, recent controversies occurred after this poll was conducted. There was a 1 per cent drop from September’s figures to 17 per cent. However, over half of respondents view Sinn Féin as unfit to govern, with significant scepticism surrounding Mary Lou McDonald’s suitability as Taoiseach. This perception puts a notable strain on Sinn Féin heading into the next election as a large portion of their 2020 voter base now views them as less government-ready. It was noted that nearly one-third of Sinn Féin voters who voted for the party in the general election of 2020 feel the party is fit for government.
In terms of the other parties, the Independents are following closely behind Sinn Féin at 15 per cent, while the Social Democrats and Independent Ireland hold firm at 5 per cent. Ivana Bacik’s Labour Party stands at 4 per cent, one per cent higher than Roderic O’Gorman’s Green Party, who have slipped this month by 1 per cent. Finally, PBP-Solidarity remains at 3 per cent, with Aontú at the bottom of the list with 2 per cent support.
