Independent candidate Ms Marian Harkin is favoured to take a Dáil seat for Sligo-Leitrim at the expense of Fianna Fáil in the next General Election according to a new TG4/MRBI poll.
The poll showed a fall in support for Fianna Fáil of 9 per cent, from 40 per cent to 31 per cent.
It predicted Fine Gael’s sitting TD, Mr John Perry with 24 per cent of the first preference votes with Ms Harkin following closely on 21 per cent.
The poll forecast sitting TDs Mr John Ellis of Fianna Fáil and Mr Gerry Reynolds of Fine Gael and Mr Jimmy Devins of Fianna Fáil would battle it out for the final two seats.
The poll also showed a fall in support for Fine Gael, down from 37 to 34 per cent. Labour was down from 11 to 6 per cent with Sinn Féin up marginally from 7 to 8 per cent.