Both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have shrugged off the results of The Irish Times/Ipsos opinion poll which shows a slump in support for him and his party.
Interviewed by reporters after the official opening of the new N5 dual carriageway in Co Mayo, Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar said he did not attach much significance to the poll findings.
“Ah sure, look, polls go up and they go down,” he responded. “We are probably back to where we were this time last year. We bounced back from that. We’ll bounce back again.”
Mr Varadkar also downplayed suggestions that some within Fine Gael are dissatisfied with his performance as leader.
He said that there had been a “really good” parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday and this confirmed his view that he has the support of the majority of members.
Stating that he “will be leading from the front with energy and absolute commitment”, he made it clear that he will be contesting the next general election in Dublin West and he intends to lead FG into the next election.
He insisted: “My focus isn’t on Fine Gael party politics, it is on the Government. The most important thing we can do as a Government is to concentrate not on party issues but the matters that concern people”.
Speaking in Co Meath, Tánaiste Micheál Martin also insisted he will lead Fianna Fáil into the next general election.
Responding to questions about the opinion poll which showed an increase in support for Fianna Fáil but a drop in support for him as leader, Mr Martin said: “I will be yes. There will be another poll out next week that will be different from this one.”
Mr Martin said: “I don’t really pay much heed to polling and polls, and I don’t allow myself to get fixated on them because I think it can disrupt the Government of the day.”
He said he is “very much focused on the fact that this Government should go full term, the circumstances that will pertain in two years time will be much different from those that pertain today. So, in other words, it’s a dynamic, evolving situation in politics.”
“We should stay focused on the issues that matter to people. The very significant issue coming up now will be the budget in September, October.”
Mr Martin, who was speaking in Ballinacree, Oldcastle, Co Meath to open an extension to St Fiach’s National School, added that the economy is resilient and “overall is doing well. We’ve got to sustain that into the future. And so, you know, there’ll be polls every month, there are three or four different polls now every four to six weeks.”
Speaking before the ECB announced an increase in interest rates, he said he acknowledged that increases put pressure on people and particularly on mortgage holders.
Asked if the Government will do something to help people who are already struggling he said, “We will examine that, it will be in the context of the budget and the broader cost of living issues.”
Meanwhile the Taoiseach said that while the rate hikes “won’t be welcomed”, it should be kept in mind that the ECB is increasing interest rates in order to bring inflation down and bring the cost of living under control.
