According to The Journal, a fresh Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll shows Fine Gael maintaining its position as the potential largest party in the next Dáil, with newly appointed Taoiseach Simon Harris’s party commanding 25% of voter support.
In a surprising twist, independent candidates have emerged as major players, seeing their support jump by four points to 20%. This group includes the newly formed Independent Ireland party.
The traditional powerhouses Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin are now neck-and-neck, each polling at 19%. Fine Gael saw a slight dip of two points, while Sinn Féin dropped by one point. Fianna Fáil’s support remained unchanged.
Smaller parties had mixed fortunes in the poll. The Green Party experienced a setback, falling two points to 3%, while Labour slipped to 5%. The Social Democrats held steady at 4%, and Aontú gained some ground, rising to 3%.
The poll, which surveyed 1,200 people through face-to-face interviews, also revealed that half of voters believe Ireland is heading in the wrong direction. However, there’s growing optimism among some, with 42% saying the country is on the right track – a five-point increase.
With a margin of error of 2.8%, the poll suggests a shifting political landscape in Ireland, with traditional party dominance being challenged by a rising tide of independent representation.