The results of the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll are a signal that Fine Gael should not become “too complacent” about its position, Cork TD Bernard Allen said.
Mr Allen was responding to the poll which put both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil behind the Labour Party in terms of public support for the first time ever. Labour is on 32 per cent, with Fine Gael on 28 per cent and Fianna Fáil on 17 per cent.
Mr Allen said there had perhaps been a “sense of complacency” that the next election would “fall into our laps”.
Speaking on RTE’s News at One, Mr Allen said the party had to be more effective.
Asked why the party leader Enda Kenny had received such low ratings, Mr Allen said: “Leaders who have the maximum of charisma are the most dangerous because the two leaders that had a lot of charisma were Charlie Haughey and Bertie Ahern.”
He said Mr Kenny was a man “full of charisma” and full of ability.
“I just don’t understand how people don’t see him as a leader that could be up there or even surpassing the status of Eamon Gilmore…I just don’t understand it.”
He said it may be the case that Mr Kenny took a “more measured approach” to dealing with issues and that he did not “oppose for the sake of opposing”.
Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd said Mr Kenny got on “extremely well with people” on a person-to-person level.
But in media appearances, he perhaps came across as “a little bit wooden”. Mr O’Dowd said he believed the Fine Gael leader’s performances in the Dail had improved.
Meath East TD Shane McEntee said he believed Fine Gael needed to “refocus” and that it had not paid enough attention to issues of concern to people, such as their finances, mortgages and jobs.
“I don’t blame leadership. Enda Kenny has dones everything he can to get this party to where it is today. There’s no leadership issues as far as I’m concerned.”
Mr McEntee said some other people in the party should be “a little bit more helpful” and he said deputy leader Richard Bruton had not been very “vocal” in the last six or eight weeks.
Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness aid the party was at the same level as it had been at the last general election, but she admitted the results of the poll were “disappointing”.
The results were merely a “snapshot” and it was not clear if the poll would transfer into seats in an election.
“From..the country’s survival point of view, we intend to make sure next time we are higher in the ratings.”