Sinn Fein surges far ahead of other political parties in the Republic, according to opinion poll

​Sinn Fein has surged to a commanding political lead in the Republic of Ireland, an opinion poll has found.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Apr 2023, 21:20 BST
Updated 9th Apr 2023, 21:20 BST
Sinn Fein Party leader Mary Lou McDonald (left) and vice president Michelle O'Neill speaking with members of An Garda Siochana following a ceremony at the GPO on O'Connell Street in Dublin to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising yesterday. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA WireSinn Fein Party leader Mary Lou McDonald (left) and vice president Michelle O'Neill speaking with members of An Garda Siochana following a ceremony at the GPO on O'Connell Street in Dublin to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising yesterday. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Sinn Fein Party leader Mary Lou McDonald (left) and vice president Michelle O'Neill speaking with members of An Garda Siochana following a ceremony at the GPO on O'Connell Street in Dublin to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising yesterday. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

A survey carried out by Behaviour And Attitudes (B&A) for the Sunday Times has support for the republican party at 37%, far ahead of any other party. It was an increase of five points since the last survey in March, and is one of its strongest ever polling results.

The next most popular party, Fianna Fail, was 16% behind with 21% support (up one percentage point) and Fine Gael was languishing on 15%, down by a hefty 8%. The Greens were on 6% (up a point). The Fine Gael vote was 7% lower than its 2020 general election tally.

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The Taoiseach and FG leader Leo Varadkar played down the plunge in his party’s support. The findings come after the Irish government was strongly criticised for lifting its winter eviction ban at the end of March, despite soaring rates of homelessness and high rents in the Republic. Sinn Fein had called for the moratorium on no-fault evictions to be extended until the end of January 2024.

Mr Varadkar said that he does not read too deeply into one poll. “I think people often read more into bad polls than good polls,” he told RTE. “There was a poll last week which had us up in the polls at 22%, above our result in the last election, and there was a poll the week before, which also had us up."

Mr Varadkar said that “housing is of course a huge political issue that people raise with me when I’m out and about”. Referencing the “massive” housing deficit of a quarter of a million homes, he said it was “now on the cusp of changing; house prices levelling off, if anything falling a little; record numbers of first-time buyers in the last few months… because of the increased supply because of schemes the government has put in place”.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said in an Easter Rising speech at Arbour Hill, Dublin: “Even in the throes of tragic defeat the dream of the Republic lived on. It was this dream that spoke to the bold Robert Emmet who looked British rule square in the eye as he delivered his rousing Speech from the Dock. It steadied the heart of Young Kevin Barry as he faced the hangman’s noose. It arrived as a lark's song to ears of Bobby Sands and his comrades as they lay starved and brutalised in their Long Kesh cells. Generations of struggle linked by the belief in a shared dream."

Related topics:Sinn FeinRepublic of Ireland