Voters favour Fine Gael-led coalition with Labour Party
Political leaders Eamon Gilmore and Enda Kenny prepare for their TG4 debate in Connemara yesterday morning. Photo: Steve Humphreys
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A FINE Gael-led coalition with the Labour Party is still the most preferred option of voters, a new Irish Independent /Millward Brown Lansdowne poll reveals.
But a Fine Gael overall majority comes in a close second place, and ahead of a Labour-led coalition.
The poll finds a Fine Gael-Labour coalition in some shape is the preferred potential government by one-in-three of the electorate.
Opposition
The same survey shows Enda Kenny is on track to lead single-party government following a surge in support for Fine Gael.
The swing behind Fine Gael leaves Labour in danger of being left in opposition, even though Eamon Gilmore is set to double his number of seats.
The real irony of the general election would be Labour coming back with a record number of seats -- far exceeding the 33 TDs elected in 1992 -- but still being left on the sidelines.
A Fine Gael-led coalition with Labour is the preferred government of 20pc of voters.
However, the next best option is a Fine Gael overall majority on 17pc.
Fine Gael are currently on 38pc in the latest opinion poll, putting the party within shooting distance of entering government alone.
A Labour-led coalition with Fine Gael comes in third on 13pc, which is a less than ringing endorsement of the party's 'Gilmore for Taoiseach' mantra.
And a coalition between Labour, Sinn Fein and others gets even less support, just 8pc.
The prospect of a Labour overall majority, which is not possible as the party is not running enough candidates, receives the support of 7pc of respondents.
Expectation
A Fianna Fail overall majority is the preferred option of 5pc of voters -- a reflection of the party's standing with the public and the low expectation for the party in next week's general election.
A coalition of Fine Gael, Labour, Greens and Independents gets the endorsement of just 4pc of respondents.
A Fianna Fail coalition with Labour is also immensely unpopular with just 3pc support. But a coalition of Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens is on 2pc.
Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein coming to power gets just 2pc support.
A return of the previous coalition government of Fianna Fail and the Green Party gets no support at all.
- Fionnan Sheahan Political Editor
Irish Independent
