Support for Government parties Fine Gael and the Green Party has seen a small boost in the latest political opinion poll, suggesting the early effects of a vaccine bonus.
Support for Sinn Féin has fallen two points since December to 30 per cent support, although it remains the most popular party in the country, according to the Behaviour and Attitudes Poll for The Sunday Times.
Support for Fine Gael is close behind, up one point to 28 per cent, while the Green Party has seen a two percentage point boost to five per cent of the vote.
Support for Taoiseach Micheal Martin’s Fianna Fáil party remains unchanged from the last poll, at 22 per cent.
Labour is meanwhile at four per cent, down one point, while the Social Democrats party is at two per cent, up one. Solidarity-People Before Profit is at one per cent, down one point, and Independents are at eight per cent, up one point.
Vaccine bonus
Although the survey was conducted amid controversy over investment funds bulk-buying housing estates, support for the Government has held and even increased in some areas.
Fianna Fáil support is up three points among those over the age of 55, while support for Fine Gael has risen three points among 35 to 54-year-olds according to the poll — suggesting the start of a boost for the government due to the vaccination programme.
Despite housing remaining a major issue for young people, Sinn Féin has seen support fall among those aged 18 to 34, and also among those aged 35 to 54.
The poll was conducted face-to-face among 914 adult voters in May, and results are compared with the last poll in December 2020.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 per cent.
