Two political opinion polls out today show a significant bounce for the Green Party - with the party up four points in both.
The polls also show there's very little difference in current levels of support for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
A Sunday Times Behaviour and Attitudes poll of 954 voters between May 2nd and 14th puts Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil level on 28%.
.@FineGael now level with @fiannafailparty in the @banda_ie #poll for @SunTimesIreland
Oh, and @greenparty_ie are up four points! pic.twitter.com/IXhB20ZRy5— Stephen O'Brien (@sob999) May 18, 2019
A separate Red C poll of 2,000 adults for the Sunday Business Post between May 6th and 16th shows Fine Gael also on 28% (a five point drop), with Fianna Fáil just four points behind.
POLL RESULTS: Fine Gael 28% (-5) Fianna Fáil 24% (+1) Independents 14% (-2) Sinn Fein 13% (-1) Green Party 7% (+4) Labour 5% (=) (+4) SocDems 2% (=) Solidarity-PBP 2% (+1) Aontu 2 (+1) Renua 1 (+1) @sundaybusiness @REDCResearch
— Michael Brennan (@obraonain) May 18, 2019
The poll results showing party support come only days before Friday's local and European elections.
Sunday Business Post Political Correspondent Michael Brennan said Fine Gael will find their poll results disappointing.
He observed: "The party is down five points to 28%, which is the worst result they've got since November 2017 in a Red C poll.
"It will be a worry for Fine Gael candidates - particularly at local level, because they are trying to become the biggest party in local Government and overtake Fianna Fáil."
Sunday Times Political Editor Stephen O'Brien, meanwhile, said the results represent a new high for the Greens.
He explained: "In our poll, they're on 5% - which is a number they haven't hit in the Behaviours and Attitudes Sunday Times series, which has been running since 2011.
"They're up for points, which is statistically significant.
"When you think of it, it shouldn't come as a surprise, when we look at the extent to which climate change has dominated the domestic debate and international debate - [including] the children's protests all around the world."
