RED C report on Irish voting intentions March 2010

1. Voting Intention Tracking Poll March 2010

5. Fine Gael Fianna Fáil Labour Sinn Féin Green Party Independents/ Other If there were a general e lection tomorrow, to which party or independent candidate would you give your first preference vote ? ( Base: All adults WHO WILL VOTE 18+)

6. Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Sinn Féin Green Party Independents/ Other General election 2007 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 If there were a general e lection tomorrow, to which party or independent candidate would you give your first preference vote ? ( Base: All adults WHO WILL VOTE 18+)

7. Dec ’ 05 If there were a general election tomorrow, to which party or independent candidate would give your first preference vote ? ( Base: All adults 18+) Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Sinn Féin Green Party PDs 35% 24% 17% Independent May ’ 09 Mar ’ 06 Apr ’ 06 May ’ 06 Jun ’ 06 Jul ’ 06 Sep ’ 06 Oct ’ 06 Nov ’ 06 Jan ’ 07 Feb ’ 07 Mar ’ 07 Apr ’ 07 May ’ 07 May ’ 07 May ’ 07 May ’ 07 GE 2007 Sep ’ 07 Oct ’ 07 Nov ’ 07 Jan ’ 08 Feb ’ 08 Mar ’ 08 Apr ’ 08 May ’ 08 Jun ’ 08 Sep ’ 08 9% Oct ’ 08 Nov ’ 08 Jan ’ 09 5% Feb ’ 09 Mar ’ 09 Apr ’ 09 10% GE 2002 Feb ’ 06 Jan ’ 06 Nov ’ 05 Sep ’ 05 May ’ 09 Sep ’ 09 Sep ’ 09 Oct ’ 09 Nov ’ 09 Jan ’ 10 2006 2007 2008 2009 Mar ’10 2010 Feb ’10

8. If there were a general election tomorrow, to which party or independent candidate would give your first preference vote ? ( Base: All adults 18+) Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Sinn Féin Green Party PDs 35% 24% 17% Independent GE 2007 Sep ’ 07 Oct ’ 07 Nov ’ 07 Jan ’ 08 Feb ’ 08 Mar ’ 08 Apr ’ 08 May ’ 08 Jun ’ 08 Sep ’ 08 9% Oct ’ 08 Nov ’ 08 Jan ’ 09 5% Feb ’ 09 Mar ’ 09 Apr ’ 09 10% May ’ 09 May ’ 09 Sep ’ 09 Sep ’ 09 Nov ’ 09 Oct ’ 09 Jan ’ 10 2008 2009 Feb ’ 10 Mar ’ 10 2010

9. If there were a general e lection tomorrow, to which party or independent candidate would you give your first preference vote ? ( Base: All adults WHO WILL VOTE 18+) CURRENT FIRST PREFERENCE SUPPORT Core figures 28 th Mar 2010 Excluding undecided 2007 Election Results % % % Fine Gael 30 35 27 Fianna Fáil 21 25 42 Labour 15 17 10 Sinn Féin 8 10 7 Green Party 5 5 5 Independents/Others 7 9 6 Undecided 14

10. Yes No Understands people like me Will make/ Has made a good Taoiseach Is a safe pair of hands Image of Brian Cowen among the electorate ( Base: All adults 18+) Capable of leading Ireland out of recession Don’t Know 8% 7% 7% 5% 5% Apr’08 Mar’10 Apr’08 Mar’10 Apr’08 Mar’10 Mar’10 4% 4%

11. Brian Cowen ratings since becoming Taoiseach ( Base: All adults 18+) Fianna Fáil 1st Preference share 24% Apr ’ 08 May ’ 08 Jun ’ 08 Sep ’ 08 Oct ’ 08 Nov ’ 08 Jan ’ 09 Feb ’ 09 Mar ’ 09 Apr ’ 09 May ’ 09 May ’ 09 Sep ’ 09 Sep ’ 09 Nov ’ 09 Oct ’ 09 Jan ’ 10 Cowen takes over as leader and Taoiseach Feb ’ 10 Mar ’ 10 40% Brian Cowen ratings April 2008 Understands people like me 52% Will make a good Taoiseach 74% Is a safe pair of hands 74% Brian Cowen ratings March 2010 Understands people like me 31% Has made a good Taoiseach 27% Is a safe pair of hands 31% Is capable of leading Ireland 29% out of recession

12. Attitudes towards public sector industrial action ( Base: All adults 18+) Agree strongly Agree slightly Disagree slightly Disagree strongly Don’t know The public sector workers should stop all action and get back to work I fully support the actions currently being taken by public sector workers I would not be happy to see an escalation of actions above the current level