Exit poll gives Ahern record third term
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern looks set for a record third term in power, according to an exit poll in the General Election.
Fianna Fáil recorded 41.6% support – slightly above what it won in the 2002 contest when it secured 81 Dáil seats – according to the Lansdowne Market Research study commissioned by RTÉ.
Fine Gael, which hopes to lead an “Alliance for Change” alternative government with Labour, is on 26.3%, almost 4% ahead of its previous disastrous result.
Labour has slipped 1% to 9.9%, while outgoing coalition partners the Progressive Democrats also dropped 1.5% to 2.6%.
The Greens are up 1% at 4.8%, while Sinn Féin also gained 1% to 7.3%.
Independents and the Socialist Party are down nearly 3% to 4.8%.
The exit poll interviewed 3,200 voters after casting their ballots outside 166 polling stations across all 43 constituencies yesterday.
Official counting of the General Election votes will begin at 9am today.
According to the exit poll figures, it may be difficult for Fianna Fáil to muster a Dáil majority with outgoing coalition partners the Progressive Democrats.
Mr Ahern’s party may have to coalesce with Labour for only the second time in its history or negotiate a first-ever deal with the Greens.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte has already all but ruled out helping Fianna Fáil back into power.
Green TD Dan Boyle said of the exit poll results: “I don’t know if we’re prepared to talk to anybody at the moment.
“I don’t want to say that we’re in favour of any particular option until we see how many seats we end up with.
“The campaign made it difficult for us to say we were willing to support Fianna Fáil in a future government because of past performance and I would still see that as difficult.”
Any coalition deal with Fianna Fáil would have to be agreed by party members at a special conference.
“There would be so many hoops to be jumped,” Mr Boyle told RTÉ.
