SUPPORT for Sinn Féin in the Republic has continued to soar as the government's popularity plummets, according to the latest opinion poll.
The Dublin coalition government's two largest parties have seen a fall off in support, with Fianna Fáil down three points to 20 per cent and Fine Gael down four points to 18 per cent.
The poll was published in the wake of a no confidence motion brought by Sinn Féin earlier this week, which saw the three-party coalition survive by 85 votes to 66.
The latest Irish Times/Ipsos opinion poll, the first of its kind since April, puts Sinn Féin on course to be the Republic's largest party, rising three points to record 36 per cent, while Green Party support remains unchanged at 3 per cent.
The level of support for Fine Gael is its lowest rating in the Ipsos series since 1994.
Support for the ruling party leaders has also dropped, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin's satisfactory rating down 11 points to 40 per cent.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar's has dropped 12 points to 36 per cent and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan's fell by four points to 15 per cent.
Sinn Féin's leader Mary Lou McDonald's rating increased by one point to 43 per cent.
Support for the coalition government has fallen by 12 points to 31 per cent, a drop attributed largely to the rising cost of living over recent months.
The pollsters also asked respondents if they thought the Republic was “generally going in the right direction or the wrong direction”.
Almost two thirds (60 percent) disagreed, with only 30 per cent believing the south was going in the right direction.
The opinion poll was conducted on 10 - 12 July among 1,200 adults at 120 sampling points across all constituencies.
