New poll predicts significant gains for Sinn Féin
A new opinion poll to be published tomorrow shows Sinn Féin is on course to make massive gains in the city and county council elections.
The Behaviour and Attitudes poll for the Sunday Times shows the party on 17% of the vote, more than double its vote five years ago.
The poll of 1,545 voters was conducted between May 3 and 14 and also shows Sinn Fein set to win seats in all three European constituencies.
Their surge comes at the expense of Labour, which goes from 15% down to 7%.
Fine Gael stand at 25%, down 7% from last time, while Fianna Fail is down 3% to 22%. Independents and others account for 30%- up 13%.
The Sunday Times poll, the first to ask voters who they'll support in the local elections, and not just the European poll, is also promising for Sinn Féin when it comes to the European elections.
Lynn Boylan tops the poll in Dublin, on 19%, ahead of Fine Gael's Brian Hayes on 16% and Fianna Fáil's Mary Fitzpatrick on 12%. Both the Greens' Eamon Ryan, and independent Nessa Childers, are on 11%.
In Midlands North West, Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness has 21%, with Luke Ming Flanagan on 17% and Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy on 14%.
Marian Harkin is on 12% and faces a fight with the Fianna Fáíl duo of Thomas Byrne and Pat the Cope Gallagher - on 9% and 8% respectively.
In Ireland South, Brian Crowley's 36% takes a seat for Fianna Fáil, with Fine Gael's Sean Kelly on 17% and Liadh Ni Riada of Sinn Féin on 14%.
The final seat looks to be a fight between Fine Gael's pair of Deirdre Clune on 10%, and Simon Harris on 8%, with Phil Prendergast of Labour well back on 5%.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Independent's - Millward Brown European Election Poll for the Dublin Constituency also shows postive signs for Sinn Féin - Lynn Boylan is leading the way polling at 23%, up 3%
Fine Gael's Brian Hayes is close behind on 22% - up 7%.
The third and final seat looks set to be a battle between Nessa Childers, Mary Fitzpatrick and Emer Costello who are polling at 13%, 11% and 10% respectively.
This poll was conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and questioned 528 adults at 46 sample points throughout Dublin.
