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Slight rise in support for Government parties - poll

It indicated Fine Gael is unchanged at 22%, Fianna Fáil is up one point to 16% and the Green Party is up one point to 4% (File photo: RollingNews.ie)
It indicated Fine Gael is unchanged at 22%, Fianna Fáil is up one point to 16% and the Green Party is up one point to 4% (File photo: RollingNews.ie)

Support for the three Government parties has increased marginally, despite the controversial decision to end the ban on evictions, the latest poll by Red C for the Business Post suggests.

The poll interviewed 1,016 adults between Friday 21 April and Wednesday 26 April - three weeks after ban lapsed.

It indicated Fine Gael is unchanged at 22%, Fianna Fáil is up one point to 16% and the Green Party is up one point to 4%.

Meanwhile Sinn Féin, which has also had to defend itself after the conclusion of the Regency trail, which heard evidence from its former councillor and convicted criminal Jonathan Dowdall, has seen its support remain level at 31%.

It keeps its position as the party with the most support in the poll.

Independents are unchanged at 12%, the Social Democrats are down one point to 5%, Labour is unchanged at 4%, People Before Profit-Solidarity is down one point to 2% and Aontú is unchanged at 2%.

Almost half of people polled said they believe Mary Lou McDonald's statement that she would not have allowed Dowdall to be a councillor for the party if she knew he was involved in criminality.

Around 45% of people said they believe the Sinn Féin leader, with some 37% saying they did not believe her, while 19% said that they did not know.

Ms McDonald and Sinn Fein have strenuously denied evidence heard during the trial, including that Mr Hutch had donated money to the party - calling the claims "false and deeply offensive".

Additional reporting: PA