Two new opinion polls published today suggest that Fine Gael is gaining support at the expense of Fianna Fáil.
The trend in party support in polls in both the Sunday Independent and the Sunday Business Post suggest the coming General Election will be far more competitive than the last election in 2002.
Both polls show Fianna Fáil support dropping, while Fine Gael gains, figures which will give the Taoiseach food for thought as he decides when to call the election.
The numbers are better for Fianna Fáil in the Millward Brown IMS poll in the Sunday Independent; they are at 38%, down one since last January, while Fine Gael gain one to 23%.
Labour support is unchanged at 12%, the PDs slip one to 4%, the Greens gain one to 6%, Sinn Féin are also up one to 8%, while Independents and Others are down two to 8%.
The news for the Opposition is even better in the Red C poll in the Sunday Business Post.
It shows Fianna Fáil down one to 35%, with Fine Gael up four to 27%.
Labour are down one to 11%, the PDs unchanged at 3%, the Greens up one to 9%, Sinn Féin is down two to 8%, and Independents and others are down one to 7%.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, says he believes that support for Fianna Fáil is around 37 to 39 per cent, as indicated by a range of opinion polls in recent months.
The Labour Party leader, Pat Rabbitte, said the surveys suggested that the coming election would be a "real contest" between the two alternative governments.
