FINE Gael is on course to retain its two seats in Ireland East with a ballot paper Euro constituency poll conducted by RedC for the Sunday Business Post showing Sen John Paul Phelan, Kilkenny on 15% and his main rival Nessa Childers is on 14%. It marks the first time that Sen Phelan has taken the lead in the race.
Fine Gael Ireland East director of elections, Billy Timmins TD, said the numbers, which weren’t published in the paper on Sunday, were supplied to Fine Gael after the weekend and indicate that John Paul Phelan is well positioned to take a second seat
in Ireland East with his running mate, Mairead McGuinness MEP.
“There is clearly momentum building behind the Fine Gael campaign in Ireland East. If John Paul Phelan can poll close to 15% on June the 5th, Fine Gael is in position to retain our two seats in Ireland East,” Mr Timmins said.
“The Phelan campaign has been focusing on the issues that really matter to the voters in Ireland East - jobs, farm incomes, small business support, the cost of living for families - and he is clearly connecting with the voters as a result. The survey in the Sunday Business Post confirms that.
“The published poll on Sunday showed Fine Gael polling 34% at a national level in the European elections survey, while Fianna Fáil were at 20% and Labour at 14%.
“They said it couldn’t be done in 2004 when Fine Gael won two seats in the East and they said it couldn’t be done again in 2009. These numbers from RedC and the Sunday Business Post tells us that lightning could strike again on June 5,” Mr Timmins said.
