The Government is flying high with a satisfaction rating of 60 per cent. And Fianna Fail, at 51 per cent, is approaching the heights it reached two years ago when it achieved a support base of 56 to 57 per cent.

But public opinion is a fickle thing. And what the Flood and Moriarty tribunals once did with their revelations of wrongdoing and corruption, they can do again. The precipice is never far away where Fianna Fail is concerned. And failure to take disciplinary actions in response to the latest revelations of sleaze could undercut existing party support.

Frank Dunlop confounded the public during the week when he revealed the scale of planning corruption in Dublin and supplied a list of 15 politicians who had received cash payments in return for their support in rezoning the Quarryvale site in 1991/92. But his disclosures came after this survey was conducted and do not influence the findings.

Quarryvale was, almost certainly, the thin end of a very corrupt wedge. The revelations by the former Fianna Fail government press secretary concerned a major commercial development at a particular point in time. A later decision by councillors, in 1998, to remove a cap on the size of that development may have been facilitated in the same fashion. And there were hundreds of other suspect rezoning decisions during the last two decades.

Further light may be thrown on these matters when Mr Dunlop returns to the witness stand after Easter and the Flood tribunal completes its investigation of the bank accounts of various elected representatives. In the meantime, the manner in which these issues are investigated and dealt with by internal Fianna Fail and Fine Gael committees will colour public perception.

What is clear from the opinion poll is that Fine Gael and the Labour Party have an absolute mountain to climb if they hope to replace Fianna Fail and its Coalition partner, the Progressive Democrats, in government after the next general election.

The initial, negative reactions generated by Charlie McCreevy's Budget, in terms of individualisation and bigger tax breaks for the better-off, have dissipated in the face of larger pay cheques and a booming economy. The farming community has settled down after its successful picketing of meat factories. The introduction of a minimum wage has shored up Government support in working-class areas. And Fianna Fail's recent ardfheis added to the party's positive public profile.

By contrast, support for Fine Gael has fallen by four points to 22 per cent. And John Bruton's personal satisfaction rating has declined to 42 per cent, hitting a low of 35 per cent in Dublin. The party's failure to make headway with the electorate and the lacklustre showing of Mr Bruton are likely to add to the rumblings of unhappiness on the Fine Gael back benches.

Those difficulties may be compounded if it is shown that elected members of Fine Gael accepted money in return for favourable planning decisions in the Dublin region. Tough and early action will be required if Mr Bruton is to shore up his position.

Ruairi Quinn is in a similar position. Support for the Labour Party is at its lowest level in more than two years. And Mr Quinn's personal popularity rating provides none of the magic that might feed into a sudden transformation in the level of party support.

The Green Party has made slow, unspectacular gains in recent polls and has now secured a support base of 4 per cent, which is double that of a year ago. The advance offers the prospect of an extra seat or two in the next Dail.

The growth of Sinn Fein appears to have stalled at 3 per cent, along with the failure to make progress in implementing the Belfast Agreement. Its support base is still largely male, under 35 years of age and concentrated in Dublin and in Connacht-Ulster.

Being in opposition at a time of rapid economic growth is always difficult. But it is doubly so when the Taoiseach is such a popular figure. There is much to chew on for all the party leaders in this opinion poll.

Given their particular problems, however, John Bruton and Ruairi Quinn are likely to spend much of the Easter recess in devising strategies to protect themselves and to advance the causes of their parties.

This survey in the Republic of Ireland was conducted exclusively on behalf of The Irish Times by MRBI Ltd among a national quota sample of 1,000 representative of the 2.5 million electors aged from 18 upwards, covering 100 sampling points throughout all constituencies in the Republic. Personal, in-home interviewing took place on Monday and Tuesday, April 17th and 18th, 2000, and the accuracy level is estimated to be approximately plus or minus 3 per cent. In all respects the survey was conducted within the guidelines laid down by The Marketing Society of Ireland, and by Esomar (European Society).

Extracts from the report may be quoted or published on condition that due acknowledgement is given to The Irish Times and MRBI Ltd.