The Taoiseach has said he was “not fazed” by an opinion poll that showed support for Fianna Fáil on 15%. 

Just over a year ago, the party came first in the General Election, winning more first preference votes and seats than Sinn Féin or Fine Gael. 

Since then, Mary Lou McDonald’s party has surged ahead and is now consistently polling in the mid-20s. 

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil's support has slumped, with one poll for the Business Post/Red C recording the party on 15% last month. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, Micheál Martin said he paid little attention to opinion polls. 

 “I mean I don't really get fazed by those polls,” he said. 

“I mean the bottom line is, if you go back to a month or two before the last General Election we were at 17% in the polls. 

“It means nothing; okay, it means something.

“I don't want to be too dismissive but it seems to me the three bigger parties in our system are in and around 20%.” 

Micheál Martin, Mary Lou McDonald and Simon Harris. Picture by: RollingNews.ie.

The next General Election is not expected to take place until 2029, at which point Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will have been in coalition together for nearly a decade. 

The results, Mr Martin suggested, will be heavily influenced by the popularity of local TDs. 

“I's four years to go to the next general election,” he continued. 

“It's meaningless at this particular point in time in terms of what the dynamic of that General Election campaign will be. 

“So, I think what's important is from the public point of view… that you don't focus on short-term polls, that you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve in Government, what your clear priorities are.” 

Micheál Martin on a building site. Picture by: Julien Behal Photograph / RollingNews.ie.

Last year, 36,284 new homes were built in Ireland - the highest number built since officials began collating the figures in 2011. 

In total, the Government has promised to build 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030 and Mr Martin insisted that housing remains his top priority. 

“We did a lot in the last 12 months that were not eye-catching,” he said. 

“But we're laying the foundation stones and 36,000 is a significant number.”

Main image: Claire Byrne and Micheál Martin.