Hostility and anger on the increase as independents gain support in latest poll

With local, European and Limerick City and County Mayor elections looming, canvassers are being met with increasing negativity and anger as they visit the country's voters, according to political sources and seasoned observers. It is claimed that some voters have totally genuine concerns, while others are based on false and malicious misinformation, more often than not spread online, aimed at destabilising and undermining democracy and the democratic processes which were hard won. These trends are in keeping with the experience in other countries across the globe, with the far right to the fore in propagating many fears and fake news.

The latest Sunday Independent / Ireland Thinks poll for May, published at the weekend, highlights the issues of greatest concern and their importance to those polled which showed Immigration as an issue of major concern, which ranks second on priorities for those polled, up by a whopping 15% compared to just a month ago.

Top of the list of concerns, with the change since last month in brackets, was Housing 54% (-5), Immigration 41% (+15), Healthcare 29% (-2), Cost of Living 25% (-2), Rise of Far Right 11% (+3), Climate Change 8% (-1), Crime & Drugs 6% (-2), Poverty & Inequality 5% (-1), The Economy 5% (NC), Government Corruption 5% (NC), Israel - Hamas War 3% (-2), Elder Care 2% (NC), Societal Change 2% (NC), Childcare 2% (-1), Rural - Urban Divide 1% (NC), Russian - Ukraine War 1% (-1). Each person polled were allowed to pick two choices of concern to them.

Separately support for Sinn Féin and independents has increased, a new opinion poll also published at the weekend shows. The latest Sunday Independent / Ireland Thinks poll also indicates that support for Fine Gael has fallen, which will be a concern for new party leader and Taoiseach, Simon Harris ahead of the June 7th polling and the GE, which has to be held prior to March 22nd, 2025.

The findings show that Sinn Féin stands at 29%, up 3% from the previous poll. Fine Gael 19% (-2), Fianna Fáil is unchanged at 16%. The Social Democrats are unchanged at 6%, with the Green Party also unchanged at 4%. Aontú 3% (-1), the Labour Party is unchanged at 3%, while Solidarity / People Before Profit are also unchanged at 2%. Independents now stand at 19% (+2).

(The survey was carried out among a sample of 1,316 people taken between 2 May and 3 May and the margin of error is 2.8%)