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Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Mairead McGuinness leads in presidential election poll but public imagination yet to be caught
Fine Gael 's Mairead McGuinness leads the field in a list of potential presidential election candidates, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll, though the results show nobody has yet caught the public imagination. Asked who they would probably vote for in the presidential election, 14 per cent of respondents named Ms McGuinness, who secured her party's nomination this week after emerging as the only potential candidate. The two most popular choices in the poll were 'none of the names so far appeal to me' on 18 per cent, and 'not sure' on 20 per cent. Ms McGuinness is followed by Independent TD Catherine Connolly , who announced her campaign this week, on 9 per cent, and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald on 8 per cent. Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern is on 5 per cent, while Taoiseach Micheál Martin was nominated by 4 per cent of respondents. Fianna Fáil is yet to put forward a candidate. Other potential candidates – including Conor McGregor, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Éamon Ó Cuív, Fintan O'Toole, Frances Black, Gerry Adams, Mary Hanafin, Michelle O'Neill, Mike Ryan and Peter Casey – registered at between 1 and 3 per cent. A number of other potential candidates – including Declan Ganley, Peter Power, Seán Gallagher and Tom Clonan – all registered less than 1 per cent. [ Irish presidency poll reveals just how tuned out of the process people are ] [ Who is Mairead McGuinness, the early front-runner in the presidential race? Opens in new window ] Voters are almost evenly divided on whether they would like the next president to be a current or former politician, or someone from a non-political background. Among those who expressed a view, 43 per cent said they would prefer a politician, with 41 per cent saying they would like a non-politician. Six months after the Government was formed, voters were also asked about how they thought Ministers were performing. The top performer was Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe , with almost half of voters (48 per cent) saying he was doing a 'good job'. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) said he was doing a poor job, with a similar number stating they were 'not sure'. Mr Donohoe's numbers give him a 'net positive' rating of 22 points, putting him far ahead of most of his colleagues. The poll also asked voters their choices for the next leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin. Mr Donohoe was the clear favourite to succeed Simon Harris as Fine Gael leader, with 29 per cent of all voters favouring him, ahead of 12 per cent for Helen McEntee and 8 per cent for Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Among Fine Gael voters, 50 per cent nominate Mr Donohoe as their choice. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan is the favourite choice of all voters to be the next leader of Fianna Fáil (16 per cent), narrowly ahead of Jack Chambers and Darragh O'Brien. Almost a third (32 per cent) of Fianna Fáil voters prefer Mr O'Callaghan. Pearse Doherty is regarded as the clear front-runner to be the next Sinn Féin leader, with the backing of 28 per cent of all voters, and 42 per cent among Sinn Féin voters. The worst performer in the poll was Minister for Housing James Browne , whom 59 per cent of voters said was doing a poor job and has a net negative rating of 44 points. Neither the Taoiseach nor the Tánaiste were included in the ministerial ratings, as their satisfaction ratings were recorded elsewhere in the poll , reported last Thursday. The poll was conducted among a representative sample of adults aged 18 years and upwards across 120 sampling points throughout all constituencies. The Irish Times/Ipsos B&A series is conducted through face-to-face sampling; personal in-home interviewing took place on July 14th and 15th. The number of interviews conducted was 1,200. The accuracy is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent.

Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Warning labels on alcohol an idea from ‘different time', Minister warned Cabinet colleague
Plans to require health warnings on alcohol products were thought up in a 'very different' time to the current period of global economic uncertainty, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke privately warned a Cabinet colleague. The Government is expected to delay requirements for alcohol products to carry warnings about the links between alcohol consumption, liver disease and cancer. The mandatory health labelling had been due to be introduced next year, but it is expected will now not come into force until 2029. In a May 15th letter, Mr Burke asked Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to consider pushing back the health labelling plans in light of the 'profound' risk Ireland was facing from the current global economic uncertainty. READ MORE The idea for health warning labels on alcohol was 'developed at a time when geopolitical economic pressures were very different to those being experienced at present', he told Ms Carroll MacNeill. The danger of US president Donald Trump 's sweeping tariff threats starting a transatlantic trade war with the European Union is causing significant concern inside Government including on its impact on Irish exports of whiskey and other alcohol products. Mr Burke appealed to his Fine Gael colleague to take these new circumstances into account and 'pause' plans for alcohol labelling. 'Recent months have seen significant global economic uncertainty and a rapidly shifting trading landscape – which you will be aware could have profound competitiveness implications for small open economies like Ireland,' he wrote. The fact Mr Burke had asked Ms Carroll MacNeill to delay the introduction of the labelling was previously reported but this is the first time the contents of his letter have been reported. [ Delay on health labelling on alcohol comes amid uncertain trading environment Opens in new window ] A copy of his letter to the Minister for Health – released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act – said the new labelling rules would lead to higher prices for consumers. 'The proposed measures will mean increased production and sale costs for Irish producers and importers, and add to the price payable by consumers, at a time when prices are also rising due to a multitude of other factors,' Mr Burke wrote. This would come at the same time companies and producers were already seeing 'very significant disruption' to their supply chains, he said. 'Notwithstanding the overarching health benefits of the proposal, I would ask you to consider pausing the introduction of the proposed new requirements,' the correspondence said. It is expected a decision will be taken at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to defer the new rules for several years. In his letter, Mr Burke said Ireland's plans had faced pushback from other EU governments, as it was believed the labelling rules would hamper the movement of trade and goods within the bloc's single market. There had also been intense lobbying from the drinks industry, over the 'likely negative impact on sales and costs,' he said.


BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Mairead McGuinness confirmed as Fine Gael nominee for presidential race
Mairead McGuinness has been confirmed as the nominee for Fine Gael's presidential candidate. Her ratification as the party's candidate is to take place at an event in September. Advertisement Tánaiste Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said Ms McGuinness, who was a former TV presenter and farming journalist before becoming an MEP and EU commissioner, 'possesses all the attributes to bring our nation together'. Ms McGuinness is the first official nominee in the presidential race to replace Michael D Higgins this autumn, after he served the maximum, two seven-year terms as President of Ireland. Independent Galway TD Catherine Connolly, who is expected to officially enter the race on Wednesday, has already received the backing of the Social Democrats and People Before Profit and is expected to garner the support of several independents. Labour said it would 'seriously' consider whether to back Ms Connolly, who is a former party member, as a presidential candidate. Advertisement Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has also refused to rule herself out of running for the presidency. Prospective candidates need the support of 20 Oireachtas members to get on the ballot paper. Fianna Fáil, the party with the most TDs in the Dáil, has not clarified if it will run a candidate. Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said the party was 'assessing our options' and a decision would be made by the parliamentary party in the early autumn. Advertisement Asked about Taoiseach Micheál Martin as a possible candidate, Mr Chambers said he was 'very focused on the job of government'. Labour TD George Lawlor said on Tuesday that Ms Connolly had approached Labour party leader Ivana Bacik seeking the party's support and they would 'consider very seriously' their decision. 'We will speak with our members, and our members will be contacted, and a decision will be made after that. No decisions will be made today.' He added: 'We will be asking Catherine to outline her vision for the presidency and where she sees her role in that. It's a position that the Labour Party has promoted very strong candidates for in the past.' Advertisement Left-wing independent Ms Connolly worked as a barrister and a clinical psychologist before becoming a councillor for 17 years and spending a term as a Galway mayor until 2005. She resigned from the Labour Party in 2006 after being turned down to be a running mate of then-incumbent TD Michael D Higgins. She was first elected to the Dáil as an independent candidate for Galway West in 2016 and has been an outspoken advocate for Palestine and against US army aircraft refuelling at Shannon Airport.