The latest national opinion poll published yesterday indicates small but not insignificant shifts in party allegiances.
The Red C poll commissioned by Paddy Power bookmakers says Fine Gael has dropped slightly to 29 per cent (down one percentage point) while Labour seems to have halted a downward trend evident last year. Its standing of 13 per cent is unchanged since the last Red C poll.
Fianna Fáil has recorded another small increase, to 21 per cent. The gap between it and Fine Gael has fallen from almost 20 per cent to 8 per cent since the February 2011 election.