Support dwindles for Ahern government

A new opinion poll highlights declining support for Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern, his coalition government and his Fianna Fail political party.

Market Research Bureau of Ireland returns carried out for the Irish Times newspaper showed that twice as many people were dissatisfied with the government's performance as were satisfied.

But support for Fine Gael and the Labour opposition parties increased since the last similar survey last October.

After the exclusion of the undecided factor, backing for Fianna Fail was 32%, down 4%; Fine Gael at 22% was up 3%; Labour 16%, up 2%; the Progressive Democrats junior government party 6%, up 1%; the Green Party 6%, down 2%; Sinn Fein and others both 9% and both unchanged.

A total of 31% said they were satisfied with the government's performance, down 2%, while 62% are dissatisfied, an increase of 1%. The satisfaction rating was the lowest since Mr Ahern's coalition administration, returned to office last year, first won power in 1997.

Satisfaction with the party leaders put Mr Ahern at 43%, down 1%; deputy premier and Progressive Democrats leader Mary Harney, 45% down 7%; Fine Gael's Enda Kenny 29%, down 3%; Labour's Pat Rabbitte, 44%, the first time his support had been measured; the Green Party's Trevor Sargent 36%, down 7%; and Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams 44%, down 8%.

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