Fine Gael has opened an eight-point lead over Fianna Fáil in the latest opinion poll.
The Sunday Times/ Behaviour and Attitudes poll, to be published tomorrow, puts satisfaction with the government up two points to 41%.
The B&A poll was taken on the last day of August and first two weeks in September through face-to-face interviews with 937 people.
It shows Fine Gael up four to 33% and Fianna Fáil down five to 25%.
Elsewhere Sinn Féin is up one to 19%, Independents up one to 10%, labour static at 5%, Greens are static at 2% and Social Democrats static at 1%.
It is an eight-point lead for Fine Gael over Fianna Fáil and the gains are most pronounced in Dublin and with women voters.
Those polled were most satisfied with Micheál Martin as a leader but his 53% rating was down 1%.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is biting at his ankles with a 6% jump in satisfaction which put him on 49%.