Sinn Féin have grown their commanding lead in the polls, according to a survey for The Sunday Times by Behaviour & Attitudes.

If an election was held tomorrow, 37% of  the public would give the party their first preference vote - up 6% since the last time the company conducted a poll.

The figure is nearly double the number who would vote for either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael and by far the highest rating the party has ever received in an opinion poll. 

Fine Gael received the support of 21% of voters, an unchanged figure since the last poll, while Fianna Fáil slipped three points to 20%. 38% of people approve of the Government’s performance. 

The Greens polled 5%, Labour 3%, the Social Democrats 3%, while independents and other parties received 10% support. 

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald is Ireland’s most popular political leader - with particularly high approval ratings among young people. 50% of people approve of her, while that figure increases to 59% among the under 35s. 

41% of people approved of Micheál Martin, while for Leo Vardkar the figure was 39%. 

The poll has a margin of error of 3.3% and was conducted in the wake of Sinn Féin’s Ard Fheis two weeks ago. 

Ard Fheis

At the Ard Fheis Ms McDonald told delegates that, “The writing is on the wall for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, they’ve been in Government for far too long.”

She added: 

“The broken system of a partitioned Ireland, politics for the few, at the expense of the many. It’s now time for a Government for you and your family. That puts workers and families first.  

“And Sinn Féin will deliver that Government for the people. We want to lead that Government. 

“And I want to lead as Taoiseach if you give us that chance.”

Main image: Party leaders debate during the 2020 election. Picture by: Niall Carson/RollingNews.ie/Pool