Sinn Féin remains the most popular party in the state - despite rising satisfaction with the performance of Taoiseach Micheál Martin, a new poll suggests.

In a Behaviour & Attitudes poll for The Sunday Times, 34% of voters said they would vote for Sinn Féin if there was an election tomorrow. 

Trailing behind them in second place is Fianna Fáil with 25% support, with their coalition partners, Fine Gael, in third place with 20% of the vote. 

The Greens attract the support of 5% of voters, Labour 4% and the Social Democrats 2%. Other parties and independents would win 10% of the vote. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin records his highest satisfaction rating since taking office nearly two years ago, with 51% of respondents saying they approve of his performance. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin outside St Mary’s Mansion, Dublin, 02-12-2021. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

51% of voters also rate positively the performance of Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald. 

Meanwhile, 44% think Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is doing well. 

Satisfaction with the Government has also risen two points to 46%. 

The Sunday Times’ Political Editor, Stephen O'Brien, told Newstalk that of all the party leaders, it was An Taoiseach who would likely be most cheered by the results: 

“In terms of who is likely to be happiest with the range of results in today’s poll, it is indeed the Taoiseach Micheál Martin because he sees his personal satisfaction rating, the Government satisfaction rating and Fianna Fáil’s position in the state of the parties, all three are rising,” Mr O’Brien said. 

“There may be a slight pandemic bounce in the sense of these numbers for Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil are coming through just after the last wave of restrictions lifted. 

“Although the polling period did overlap with certainly a good week of this debate we’ve been having over the cost of living and hyperinflation in energy prices in particular.”

Sinn Féin

However, Mr O’Brien stressed that Sinn Féin also had reason to feel good about the poll’s results: 

“There’s every reason [for them] to be happy,” he said. 

“They have been on 34% for three polls in a row now… Mary Lou McDonald’s personal [high] satisfaction rating as party leader is the most consistent one over the past year.”

 Main image: Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald before she announced the makeup of Sinn Féin's new Dáil frontbench team at the Dáil (Leinster House) Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie.