IRISH TIMES POLL:The Coalition has a problem with Fianna Fáil supporters backing Nama, while Green Party voters oppose it and support nationalisation
THE GOVERNMENT'S plan to establish a National Asset Management Agency (Nama) is only supported by a minority of voters, according to latest
Irish Times
/TNS mrbi poll, but opposition to the plan is not nearly as overwhelming as most people in the political world would have expected.
When the significant 34 per cent of voters who have no opinion are excluded from the figures, sentiment against Nama is running at a ratio of 60/40 against. Given the barrage of negative opinion about the plan over the summer this may actually come as a reasonably pleasant surprise to the Government.
One problem for the Coalition, though, is that while Fianna Fáil supporters are the strongest supporters of the Nama plan, its strongest opponents are not Opposition party supporters but Green Party voters. Furthermore, Green voters are the strongest supporters of nationalisation, even stronger than Labour voters.
There have been three Cabinet meetings over the past week, the latest yesterday, involving Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan taking his colleagues through the detail of the highly complex legislation. In particular, Lenihan has been attempting to convince the Green Party Ministers about the detail of his approach. The Greens signed up for the principle of the Bill during the summer, but the negative response from some economists has stirred up feelings in the party against the plan, and it even has the potential to force them to leave Government.
If the depth of opposition to Nama is not as strong as might have been expected, the level of support for nationalisation is also less than many politicians would have expected. Again the biggest surprise is that the Green Party voters are the most strongly supportive of nationalisation.
Party voters are even more enthusiastic about it than Labour voters, which is a surprise given that Labour has been pushing the case for months.
Overall, the poll found 26 per cent of voters are in favour of the Nama plan, 40 per cent are against and 34 per cent have no opinion. On nationalisation, 36 per cent are for, 38 per cent are against and 25 per cent have no opinion.
Among Fianna Fáil voters 46 per cent favour Nama, while 26 per cent are against. Among the Greens 50 per cent are against the plan, while 21 per cent are for it.
Labour supporters are almost as hostile as the Greens with 47 per cent against and 21 per cent for. Among Fine Gael supporters, 44 per cent are against and 25 per cent for the plan. Among Sinn Féin voters, 37 per cent are against and 24 per cent for.
In terms of social class, the strongest support for Nama comes from the best off AB and C1 categories, with 32 per cent for and 42 per cent against. The strongest opposition comes from the poorest DE category, with 19 per cent for, 39 per cent against and 42 per cent no opinion.
On the prospect of nationalisation, Green Party voters are even more strongly in favour of that approach than Labour Party supporters, while Fianna Fáil voters are the most strongly opposed. Some 54 per cent of Greens favour nationalisation while 26 per cent area against. Among Labour supporters 48 per cent are in favour, but 31 per cent against. Sinn Féin voters are 43 per cent for and 32 per cent against.
Fine Gael voters are almost evenly divided on nationalisation, with 38 per cent for and 37 per cent against, while Fianna Fáil supporters are against by 53 per cent to 31 per cent.
When it comes to nationalisation, the strongest opposition comes from the best off AB voters with 44 per cent against, and 40 per cent for, while the most support for the proposal comes from the least well off DE category, with 36 per cent for and 35 per cent against.