A new opinion poll shows a slight increase in support for Fianna Fáil, but another drop in satisfaction with the Taoiseach.
According to the TNS/MRBI poll in tomorrow's Irish Times, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has a higher rating than Mr Ahern for the first time.
Mr Kenny's rating only fell by 1% compared to 3% for Mr Ahern.
The poll was carried out on Monday and Tuesday among 1000 voters and excludes undecided and is adjusted to remove the usual overstatement of Fianna Fáil support in opinion polls.
Fianna Fáil is up just one point, to 34%, while Fine Gael has held steady at 31%. Labour is down three to 12%, while the Greens gain one to 6%. Sinn Féin and the PDs are also up one each, to 8% and 3% respectively. Independents and others are down one to 6%.
The last Irish Times poll was conducted in October showed a 9% drop in support for Fianna Fáil. At the time, the Taoiseach blamed the poor results on Government mishandling of a number of issues, principally Ministerial pay rises, and the law on provisional driving licences. So Fianna Fáil would have been expecting to see an improvement in this poll.
When it comes to satisfaction with the party leaders, the big loser is the Bertie Ahern, down three points to 40%.
Enda Kenny is down one point, but at 41% he has a higher satisfaction rating than Mr Ahern for the first time.
The Labour leader Eamon Gilmore is up six to 36%, some compensation for the drop in his party's rating.
John Gormley of the Green Party is up two to 42%.
Gerry Adams makes the largest gain, up 7 to 48%,
while Mary Harney is unchanged at 35%.
