Public support for the Government, the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil has dropped to record lows following the month of controversy over the budget, according to the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll.
Satisfaction with the Government is now just 18 per cent, a drop of 28 points since the last Irish Timespoll in June, while satisfaction with Taoiseach Brian Cowen has fallen to 26 per cent, a drop of 21 points.
The level of dissatisfaction with the Government is now a massive 76 per cent, while 61 per cent of people are dissatisfied with the way Mr Cowen is doing his job.
The precipitous slide in the Government¿s fortunes comes after a month of controversy over the Budget on a range of issues including medical cards for the over 70s, education cuts and the postponement of a planned cervical cancer vaccination programme.
By contrast the poll not only puts Fine Gael ahead of Fianna Fáil for the first time ever in an Irish Timespoll, but the main Opposition party has a substantial seven-point lead.
The adjusted figures for party support, compared to the last Irish Timespoll in June are: Fianna Fáil, 27 per cent (down fifteen points); Fine Gael, 34 per cent (up eleven points); Labour, 14 per cent (down one point); Sinn Féin, 8 per cent (no change); Green Party, 4 per cent (down one point); and Independents/others, 13 per cent (up seven points.).
The poll was conducted last Monday and Tuesday among a representative sample of 1,000 voters in face-to-face interviews at 100 sampling points in all 43 constituencies. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 per cent.
The poll was conducted as the controversy over the budget continued, with the run up to the Dáil vote on the decision to defer the cervical cancer vaccination programme.
The core vote for the parties compared with the last Irish Timespoll is: Fianna Fáil, 25 per cent (down 14 points); Fine Gael, 25 per cent (up eight points); Labour, 10 per cent (down one point); Sinn Féin, 7 per cent (down one point); Greens, 3 per cent (down one point); Independents/others, 8 per cent (up three points); and undecided voters 22 per cent (up six points).
In terms of satisfaction ratings the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, is ahead of Brian Cowen for the first time with a rating of 33 per cent (down two points) while Labour leader, Eamon Gilmore is up three points to 38 per cent.
Green Party leader John Gormley has seen a substantial dip in his satisfaction rating to 28 per cent (down 12 points) while Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is on 33 per cent (down 12 points). The satisfaction rating of all the party leaders, with the exception of Mr Gilmore, has fallen since June.
