Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Fine Gael haven't been this popular since 2012

Good news for Enda, Leo and co in the latest political opinion poll.

A NEW OPINION poll provides further good news for Fine Gael this evening.

The party’s up one point to 31% in the latest survey for the Sunday Business Post, carried out by Red C.

It’s the highest level of support for the party in this set of polls since 2012.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • Fine Gael: 31% (up 1)
  • Fianna Fáil: 19% (down 1)
  • Sinn Féin: 18% (up two)
  • Labour: 7% (no change)
  • Independents: 25% (down 2)

The poll was conducted among over 1,000 people on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week.

There’ll be full breakdown of the figures in tomorrow’s Business Post.

Read: Crisis averted? Here’s what was agreed at today’s ‘tense’ Banking Inquiry meeting

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
197 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robbie Redmond
    Favourite Robbie Redmond
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 11:01 AM

    The Elite in this country are not going to take their foot off the ordinary persons neck until we get up off our knees

    98
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fiona Ryan
    Favourite Fiona Ryan
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 11:27 AM

    Well said!

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Conway
    Favourite Declan Conway
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 11:47 AM

    We have some way to go before we even get to our knees.
    The most likely scenario is stagflation (low growth, high inflation) for the rest of this decade, and even beyond.
    That will mean a few bank bail-ins, such as in Cyprus, so be very careful with your savings, if you have any.
    Oh, and an austerity budget each year too.
    Look out below.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute @Turflife
    Favourite @Turflife
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 10:32 AM

    2014? We’re barely surviving in 2013, another year of austerity will totally sink the country!

    93
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute rodrigo detriano
    Favourite rodrigo detriano
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 10:42 AM

    I really don’t think people realise that austerity is permanent. Even if we reach a stage when we can balance our incomings and outgoings, every spare cent will be used to pay rich people’s gambling debts for generations. There seems to be a fallacy that when the bailout ends our trouble will be over. The day our mighty government legalised wealthy people’s gambling debts ensured permanent austerity for ordinary people.

    108
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mal
    Favourite Mal
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 8:36 PM

    Lately I’m just feeling compelled to leave this link in places like this:

    http://thechatteringmagpie14.blogspot.ie/2013/07/the-emperor-has-new-clothes.html

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Morticia
    Favourite Morticia
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 10:58 AM

    We export or starve, its that simple. Creating parasite jobs such as water meter installers and readers is a cop out way of governing the nation and only business large and small have ever created real jobs so get the obstacles such as petty EUSSR rules out of the way and let them get on with it.

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coddler O Toole
    Favourite Coddler O Toole
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 11:04 AM

    “We export or starve, its that simple.” Nonsense. Ireland produces far more food than it consumes.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coddler O Toole
    Favourite Coddler O Toole
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 2:07 PM

    George,

    The potato famine was a long time ago. We produce an excess of food which we export. In the event of Irish people starving as Morticia seems to think is imminent, that food supply would be retained in the country or the government would quickly find themselves removed from power, probably violently.
    Morticia also doesn’t seem to accept the role of government in creating jobs. The private sector will never provide an adequate supply of sustainable jobs for the people. How could they when the objective of private enterprise is to produce as few jobs as possible and pay them as little as possible in order to maximize profit.
    The necessity of the state intervening to plug the massive gaps in the free market system and create employment for its people was well understood from the 1930s onwards. Post WW II (near) full employment was the norm in the U.S, UK, Europe, Australia, Canada etc. which rarely had unemployment higher than 2% and where prosperity was far more equally shared. The government employed millions of it’s own citizens in these countries and did so with newly created money from their own central banks where necessary.
    Since the 1980s however, self serving neo liberal economics has gained world wide traction which sees an elite get ever richer while they peddle myths to the rest of the population such as “We must balance the books” , “Austerity is the only alternative”, “Banks are the engines of growth”, “ Don’t restrict the markets with regulation”, “ only business large and small have ever created real jobs “ etc etc.

    8
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Morticia
    Favourite Morticia
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 2:34 PM

    Obviously the use of a ‘figure of speech’ can be confusing for some, but where does all the magic money to fund the generosity of our various govenrments come from ? Do we have a big collection box somewhere for donations or do we sell stuff abroad to bring in the few bob.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coddler O Toole
    Favourite Coddler O Toole
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 3:08 PM

    Morticia, apologies if I read too much into an off the cuff figure of speech. We can export goods to generate money that is true. Real sovereign countries can also create their own currency to fund a budget deficit if the so wish. The U.S does not need to borrow dollars in the financial markets. It can simply create them by pressing keys on a computer in the Federal reserve. Ireland handed that power over to the ECB when we joined the Euro and are paying massively for that mistake now. The ECB has created over a trillion euros in that’s past few years and distributed it to the European banks at extremely low interest. Ireland has been forced to massively hike our taxes and shred our social systems to get the funding at a much higher which the ECB can create on a whim. This is neo liberal economics in a action.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Murphy
    Favourite Pat Murphy
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 6:11 PM

    “neo-liberal economics” what exactly does that mean????

    the UK and US employed the theory of “Quantitive Easing”, the US more than the UK, especially considering all their austerity cuts in comparison with the US.
    The ECB should do so aswell without the restraints!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nigel O Keeffe
    Favourite Nigel O Keeffe
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 11:08 AM

    Each job is worth 20 k, looking at the jobseekers app ,its hard to see a job paying more than 18k..that includes some trades ie.welding/painters/panelbeaters etc..If the race to the bottom continues the country will never recover.
    Too many employers taking advantage..if you cant pay a living wage you shouldnt be in business.
    How is someone going to be able to spend on minimun rate..as a poster said on another thread recently there are over two million medical cards in issue..so apart from the approx 350,000 on the register there are over 1,750.000 people who cant afford basic healthcare from their wages/salaries.
    If thats not a damning indictment on a country..what is?
    The race to the bottom benefits no one.

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Murphy
    Favourite Pat Murphy
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 6:19 PM

    I hear what you say but I absolutely despise your attitude!
    forgive me if I’m wrong but the way I interpreted your last comment was “work pay = x”, “welfare et al = x + 1″, why should I get out of bed?!??

    please tell me I’m wrong?!?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nigel O Keeffe
    Favourite Nigel O Keeffe
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 6:49 PM

    wrong end of the stick Pat.Can you explain to me how having almost 2 1/2 million people dependent on welfare to some extent is benefitting the country.Only people the minimun wage benefits is the employer, who is effectively subsidising their wage bill via FIS etc
    I know from experience that the working poor who have allmost no spending power after paying the essentials are paying the price.!
    If you have no discretionary spending because of low wages/high taxes..(relatively) and stealth taxes..how can you lift the local economy?
    Everyone cant earn 50k+but surely a worker is entitled to a living wage in one of the most expensive countries in Europe!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TheIrishBrain
    Favourite TheIrishBrain
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 10:31 AM

    I am sure IBEC will have a counter agreement soon. “Austerity” call it by the correct name a Recessionist policy

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TheIrishBrain
    Favourite TheIrishBrain
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 10:42 AM

    “argument” not agreement.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Carroll
    Favourite Kevin Carroll
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 1:09 PM

    “indirect taxation or other income streams instead” In other words introduce further regressive taxes that screw the workers, poor and unemployed and don’t tax the incomes of the rich!

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kerry Blake
    Favourite Kerry Blake
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 12:53 PM

    A suggestion IEA and Noonan make 2013 the last budget of austerity otherwise there will be no Ireland to rescue.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Morticia
    Favourite Morticia
    Report
    Jul 30th 2013, 12:15 PM

    Hopefully someone from the business communirty can answer a question relevant to this item. How much money do we need in circulation to create a job? I was told by a person [expert in such matters] that each £100,000 in circulation supported a real job but that was in c1984, is there a more recent figure? With so many ‘jobs’ piggy-backing on manufacturing it would be nice to figure out where our priorities lie.

    5
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.