The Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has challenged the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to a face to face debate.

Mr Martin was speaking following Mr Kenny's national conference speech last night.

Fianna Fáil say Mr Kenny has made a series of claims about their party.

"At least twice in the last week, Enda Kenny has launched a series of tired, inaccurate and clichéd attacks on my party," Mr Martin said.

"All of this is standard FG fare and no more than we have come to expect from a party that has no vision of its own and no message other than negative attacks on others."

"Mr Kenny's time as Taoiseach has been marked by his continued refusal to engage in open, honest debate on any of these issues. He now appears to hope that he can secure another term in that office by launching unsubstantiated attacks on his opponents."

"I stand ready to meet the Taoiseach in open debate at any time, but I am not optimistic," Mr Martin added.

He says Mr Kenny has been marked by his continued refusal to engage in open, honest debate.

His comments come after a new opinion poll brought mixed news for the coalition. The RED C survey in the Sunday Business Post sees Fine Gael unchanged on 24%.

However the Labour Party has dropped two points in popularity to 7%.

But there is also bad news for Fianna Fáil, who have fallen one point to 18. While Sinn Fein is up one to 21 and Independents and other rose two points to 30%.

The poll shows more than a quarter who voted Fine Gael in 2011 and almost one-fifth of those who voted Labour now support Independents.

While almost one-fifth of those who voted Fine Gael have now switched to Sinn Féin.

Political editor of the Sunday Business Post, Pat Leahy, says these support levels would not see the government re-elected.