Help with heating costs is top priority for voters in Budget 2027, Irish Times poll finds

Help with the cost of energy and home heating is the top priority for voters in next month’s budget, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll.Asked what the priority should be in Budget 2027, 23 per cent of respondents said they wanted the Government to “provide supports to help with the cost of energy/home heating bills”.The finding will likely increase the pressure on the Government to provide relief from rising energy bills and other spiralling costs for householders as they head into winter.Some Government sources predict a return of energy credits in some form in the budget, though the idea has previously been ruled out by the Taoiseach. Ministers have stressed that no decisions on the final package of measures have yet been taken. READ MOREThe next most popular priority among voters was to “provide more supports to help people trying to buy a home”, which was nominated by 21 per cent.Seventeen per cent said that they wanted the Government to prioritise increased spending on public services, while just 13 per cent favoured reducing taxes.Twelve per cent nominated an extension of the excise cuts on fuel, while support to help with the cost of childcare was the choice of 8 per cent. Just 3 per cent of respondents said the Government should “save surplus resources to invest in the future”.The poll also reveals the extent to which people feel squeezed by cost-of-living increases. More than half of all voters (51 per cent) said they find it “a lot more difficult” to manage financially, while a further 38 per cent say its “a little more difficult”. Just 9 per cent say they are experiencing no difficulties.The poll shows little movement in party support since the last comparable poll in February of this year.The state of the parties, when undecided voters and those unlikely to vote are excluded, is: Fianna Fáil on 18 per cent (down one), Fine Gael on 17 per cent (down one) with Sinn Féin again topping the poll on 23 per cent (down one).Source: Ipsos Among the smaller parties, the Social Democrats are at 8 per cent (up one), Labour is on 4 per cent (no change), the Green Party is at 3 per cent (down one), People Before Profit-Solidarity is on 3 per cent (up one), Aontú is on 5 per cent (up two) and Independent Ireland is on 4 per cent (no change).Independent candidates are on 14 per cent (down one). The comparisons are with the last national poll conducted in the series back in February. Undecided voters, excluded from the above numbers, are at 27 per cent (no change).Satisfaction with the Government has slipped again, down one point to 29 per cent, the lowest rating in six years.Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin’s approval rating slips by three points to 34 per cent, though he remains the most popular of the three big party leaders. Fine Gael’s Simon Harris is unchanged on 31 per cent while Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald falls by four points to 31 per cent.Source: Ipsos The poll was conducted among a representative sample of adults aged 18 and upwards across 120 sampling points throughout all constituencies.Unlike most other opinion polls, The Irish Times/Ipsos B&A series is conducted through face-to-face sampling. Personal, in-home interviewing took place on Monday, September 21st, and Tuesday, September 22nd. There were 1,200 interviews conducted, and the accuracy is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent.