Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris. AFP File Photo
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris' Fine Gael party has fallen to third place after losing a quarter of its support in less than two weeks, according to one of the final opinion polls before Friday's general election. The Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll revealed on Monday that Fine Gael's support has dropped to 19% from 25%. Meanwhile, Fine Gael's main coalition partner, Fianna Fail, gained two points to reach 21%, and opposition party Sinn Fein increased by one point to 20%.
This poll follows a series of campaign missteps by Harris, including a viral video of him walking away from a care worker who was voicing concerns about conditions. The poll was conducted from Wednesday to Saturday, so it may not fully reflect the impact of the incident from Friday evening, for which Harris had to issue a public apology.
Given that two of the three main parties will need to form a coalition government, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are considered the most likely partners, as both have pledged to govern without Sinn Fein. Another poll on Sunday indicated Fine Gael's support dropping by 4 points to 22%, with both Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein at 20%.
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