Ireland's Sinn Féin and Fine Gael Tie at 20% as Coalition Talks Intensify

A recent Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll shows Sinn Féin and Fine Gael both at 20% support, neck‑and‑neck for the first time. Fianna Fáil fell to a two‑year low of 16%, while the Social Democrats sit at 10% and other parties range between 2% and 12%.

The poll follows a series of “extremely constructive” meetings between Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Fine Gael Tánaiste Simon Harris. Both parties have signalled openness to cooperate on issues such as Irish unity, raising speculation that a Fine Gael‑Sinn Féin coalition could become a realistic option for forming the next government.

These developments come amid broader voter concerns about cost of living, housing and immigration, which topped the list of priorities in the survey.