Irish support for Lisbon Treaty on the rise[fr][de] 

The Sunday Independent / Quantum Research poll comes only two weeks after the country's most severe budget overhaul in recent decades, and shows a sharp decline in support for Brian Cowen, the prime minister, and his Fianna Fáil party. 

The poll reveals that Fianna Fáil would now receive just 23% of first-preference votes, down five points since January, with only 20% of respondents expressing satisfaction with Cowen, down a significant 15 points. 

Fine Gael, the main opposition party, leads the poll with 26% support, down from 27% in January. 

According to the poll, Irish voters are losing confidence in the Irish government's handling of the economic crisis. The Sunday Independent reported that a "massive" 72% were less satisfied, since the April budget, that the government had a workable plan to lead the country out of recession, with just 28% more satisfied. 

The poll comes less than two months before local and European elections, increasing expectations that the government will incur severe losses in the June ballot. 

The poll promises positive results for smaller parties, with vocal Lisbon Treaty opponents Sinn Féin making significant gains, increasing its share of support from 2% to 5%. 

The Green Party has also managed to increase its support, bucking the trend of its government partner Fianna Fáil. The Greens' share of support has grown to 3%, a gain of 1%. 

Support for the Lisbon Treaty remains steady, with 54 per cent of those polled expressing their intention to vote 'yes'. 24% said they will vote 'no' and 22% had no opinion.