Just one point between Sinn Féin and Fine Gael - poll

A new opinion poll has put voter support for Sinn Féin just one point behind Fine Gael.

Sinn Féin is at 24 per cent while Fine Gael is at 25 percent, when ‘don’t knows’ are excluded, according to the Sunday Independent/Millward Brown poll which was published today.

Support for Fine Gael is down four percentage points while support for Sinn Féin is up four points since the last poll was taken in April , before the local and European elections. Taoiseach Enda Kenny's satisfaction rating remains unchanged at 27 per cent while support for Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is down one point to 25 per cent.

Support for Labour was up by one point to seven per cent. The party has changed leader since the last poll was taken. However the polls shows the party's new leader Tanaiste Joan Burton is far more popular than her predecessor Eamon Gilmore. Ms Burton's satisfaction rating is at 27 per cent, 11 points higher than Eamon Gilmore in a previous poll (16 per cent).

Despite this boost for Ms Burton dissatisfaction with the Government is up by three points to 69 per cent while half of voters believe the Government will run its full term.

Fianna Fáil has also seen a rise in support, up by two points to 20 per cent. Its leader Micheál Martin has seen a one percent rise in his satisfaction rating to 27 percent while The poll shows support for the Greens is down one point to one per cent while Independents and others are up two points to 23 percent.

The survey was conducted among 967 adults between July 18th and 30th.