Support for Sinn Fein on the slide, according to latest poll

Support for Sinn Fein is continuing to slide, with the party down four points in two months, according to the latest opinion poll.

The Business Post Red C survey of voter intentions has Sinn Fein at 25%, a fall of four points from the 29% it attracted in the last major poll at the end of November.

The results mark a further drop from the 32% support the party achieved in a poll in October.

However, the suggested slump in support for the main opposition party does not appear to have been prompted by a significant rise in backing for government parties.

Support for Fine Gael remains at 20%, unchanged from November’s poll, while Fianna Fail is up one point to 17%.

The largest increase recorded in the latest poll is for independent TDs, with that grouping up two points to 15%.

The picture appears stable for the smaller parties in the Dail.

The Social Democrats remain the largest of those parties, unchanged at 6%.

The Greens remain at 4%, as does Labour, while People Before Profit – Solidarity were also unchanged at 3%.

Support for Aontu was up by one point to 3%.

Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty insisted his party was listening to people on the ground.

“Look, every political party wants to see opinion polls and their party support going up, and I think the previous poll from another newspaper showed us up a couple of points, so we will take this all in the round,” he told RTE’s The Week in Politics programme.

He said there was “huge frustration” in the electorate on issues such as immigration, health and housing.

“We always listen to people on the ground, we listen to how we can better articulate the positions that we have,” he said.

“And, look, at the minute what we’re geared up to is the local and European elections, focused on the general election, which we expect before the end of the year.

“The one thing that’s very clear in all of the polls is that there is a mood for change out there, there’s an appetite for change out there, and it’s not lost on us our responsibility as leaders of a party that can see a government formed without Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for the first time in 100 years, to make sure that we articulate that opportunity and grab that opportunity with both hands.”