Two-fifths of voters do not want either Brian Cowen or Enda Kenny as taoiseach, but a majority of voters want a general election this year, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.

Offered the choice of the Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael leader as taoiseach, 40 per cent of voters said in an unprompted response that they did not want either in the job.

A total of 30 per cent favoured Mr Kenny for the taoiseach’s office while 21 per cent favoured Mr Cowen and 9 per cent had no opinion.

Among Fianna Fáil voters 71 per cent wanted Mr Cowen for the post while 74 per cent of Fine Gael voters said they preferred Mr Kenny.

The Fine Gael leader was well ahead of Mr Cowen among Sinn Féin voters and marginally ahead among Green Party voters, but a majority of both parties’ supporters supported neither.

In regional terms support for Mr Kenny was highest in Dublin, while Mr Cowen’s poorest result was in the capital.

Another finding of the poll was that a majority of voters favoured the proposal of the EU Commission for greater scrutiny of national budgets, despite the criticism of the Opposition in the Dáil. Fine Gael voters were the group most strongly in favour of the plan.

The poll was taken on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week among a representative sample of 1,000 voters aged 18 and over, in face-to-face interviews at 100 sampling points in all 43 constituencies. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 per cent.

A clear majority of voters said, by a margin of 57 per cent to 35 per cent, that they wanted to see a general election being held this year.

In party terms only Fianna Fáil supporters said there should not be an election – by a margin of 64 per cent to 27 per cent.

Sinn Féin voters were strongest in favour of an early election by 80 per cent to 12 per cent.

Fine Gael supporters favoured an election by 74 per cent to 22 per cent, Labour voters by a narrower margin of 66 per cent to 31 per cent, while among Green voters the margin was much closer, with 55 per cent for and 45 per cent against.

Voters in Dublin were strongest in favour of an election this year by a margin of more than two to one, while people living in Connacht-Ulster were most evenly divided on the issue.

In age terms the youngest categories were most strongly in favour of an early election, while people over 55 were almost evenly divided on the issue, with those in favour ahead by a small margin.

There was a similar response to a question on whether the three outstanding byelections to the Dáil in Donegal South West, Dublin South and Waterford should be held now.

A total of 60 per cent wanted the byelections now, with 24 per cent saying they should not be held at this stage.

A majority of supporters of all political parties backed the holding of the byelections now, with the weakest support among Fianna Fáil voters at 52 per cent, increasing to 60 per cent among Green Party supporters, 62 per cent among Sinn Féin voters, 65 per cent among Labour voters and 67 per cent among Fine Gael supporters.

Strongest support for immediate byelections was expressed in Dublin, followed by Munster.

Support was not as strong in the rest of Leinster while voters in Connacht-Ulster were the least enthusiastic although there was a clear majority in every region for an early date for the contests.

In age terms older voters were more strongly of the view that the byelections should be held now than younger voters, while the best-off AB social category was the strongest in favour in class terms. Men were considerably more strongly in favour than women.

Another finding in the poll was that, by a majority of two to one,voters did not believe that the worst was over for the economy.