SINN FÉIN appear to be by some distance Ireland's most popular political party following the latest opinion poll.
Figures show that Mary Lou MacDonald's party has the support of almost a third of the nation (32%).
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are struggling to keep pace, and a sharp fall in support for Leo Varadkar's party in particular has opened up a 10-point lead for Sinn Féin.
Fine Gael are lagging behind with the support of 22% of voters, while Fianna Fáil have 20%, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.
The results also put the Green Party at 7% (up 1%) and Labour on 4% (up 1%).
The poll also shows a drop in satisfaction rating of the government from 53% in June to just 46% on Wednesday.
Both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have seen their approval ratings take a hit in recent months too. Micheál Martin's has fallen by eight points to 41% while Varadkar's has fallen by a whopping 13 points to 43%.
Poll: Both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar see their personal approval ratings fall, Mr Martin by eight points to 41 per cent and Mr Varadkar by a substantial 13 points, to 43 per centhttps://t.co/ujbxUhQIay pic.twitter.com/1kckOEYt79
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) October 6, 2021
Perhaps the most notable takeaway from the opinion poll is the dramatic fall in popularity of Fine Gael, who have sunk to their lowest approval rating since the 2020 general election.
The party is going through a tough period, with Varadkar and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney taking significant repetitional hits in the last few months.
On the other side of the coin, the latest approval ratings are the very best Sinn Féin has recorded in the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI series.
