POLL SLIDE

Sinn Fein dealt huge blow days before elections with major support slump in polls as two parties now level in popularity

Voters will choose 949 councillors from 31 local bodies on June 7

• Published: 18:55, 1 Jun 2024
• Updated: 18:55, 1 Jun 2024

• Irish Sun reporter

• Published: Invalid Date,

SUPPORT for Sinn Fein has plunged just days ahead of the local and EU elections.

A Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll identified a sizable seven point drop to 22 per cent in voter support.

And the figure is down 15 points from Sinn Fein’s record high in October 2020.

At that stage it commanded 37 per cent of voter support.

The latest figures show that Mary Lou McDonald’s party has the same support as Simon Harris’s Fine Gael.

The Taoiseach’s party has risen three points in the polls to 22 per cent in the last month.In terms of personal popularity, the poll shows that Ms McDonald’s has dropped to 36 per cent.And Mr Harris’, at 48 per cent, means he is now the country’s joint most popular party leader alongside Fianna Fail’s Micheal Martin, also at 48 per cent.

The poll also shows that almost one in four, or 23 per cent, are planning to vote for Independent candidates or those from small political parties on June 7.

In a forced option, the public overwhelmingly opted for the next government to be a coalition of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and Independents at 59 per cent rather than a Sinn Féin-led administration that excluded Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.Fianna Fáil has increased one point to 17 per cent, while the Social Democrats have dropped one point to 5 per cent.