Fine Gael maintains a strong lead over its rivals, while support for Sinn Féin almost matches that for Fianna Fáil, according to the latest Irish Times/ Ipsos MRBI opinion poll. Voters are split on whether they want to see an extension of the confidence and supply agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, or a general election: 46 per cent want an extension; 44 per cent prefer an election. BudgetNearly a fifth (19 per cent) say the budget will leave them better off, while 14 per cent say they will be worse off. Asked if the Government was right to favour public spending increases over tax cuts, 42 per cent say the Government was right, while 47 per cent would have preferred more tax cuts. Nationally, Fianna Fáil is a few points ahead of where it was before the 2016 election, though its support in Dublin still lags, at 19 per cent.

Source: The Irish Times October 16, 2018 12:11 UTC