A return of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to government after the next election is the option most favoured by voters, the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll has found.
The most popular combination for a coalition after the election is Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, chosen by 22 per cent of voters; a further 21 per cent want to see a return of the current Coalition arrangement with the Green Party.
A Sinn Féin-led government without either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil was the option nominated by fewer than one in six voters (16 per cent). When voters are asked which party they do not want to see in government, Sinn Féin tops the list, at 37 per cent.
The Fine Gael leader Simon Harris is the most popular choice for taoiseach by a hefty margin, with 37 per cent saying he is their preferred choice to lead the country after the general election. The Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is in second place with 24 per cent of respondents nominating her, while the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is on just 14 per cent.
Irish Times poll: Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael the most popular choice for new coalition
Election 2024: TV debate assumes outsize importance in uncertain race
Irish Times poll: Dubliners and farmers an unlikely pair in resisting radical change
The Irish Times view on the latest opinion poll: the race tightens entering the last lap
Voters are evenly split on the timing of the next election. Asked when it should take place, 36 per cent say the Government should wait until next year, while 35 per cent say it should take place this year; 27 per cent say it would make no difference.
Asked about their attitudes to change in the way the country is run, voters prefer “moderate change” (51 per cent) to “radical change” (38 per cent), with 8 per cent wary of any change.
Asked about the Government, however, and 40 per cent agree that the Government is “not making enough progress and it is time for a change”, while a further 26 per cent say that it is “already time for a radical change of direction for the country”. More than a quarter (27 per cent) say that the Government has made progress and deserves to be allowed get on with the job.”
The poll was conducted among a representative sample of 1,200 adults aged 18 years and upwards across 120 sampling points throughout all constituencies. Personal in-home interviewing took place between 14th and 17th of September, 2024. The accuracy is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
