Although voters believe that the Government should prioritise choices other than increasing public sector pay, a majority do not share the anger that many Ministers privately feel about the threatened Garda strike.

Ministers and senior officials were horrified that gardaí were ready to go on strike in support of their pay claims. However, over half of respondents to an Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll (56 per cent) believe that the threatened strike was “an acceptable way to pursue a pay increase”.

Just 39 per cent said it was unacceptable, with 5 per cent saying they don’t know.

Support for the gardaí was lowest in Dublin, where 50 per cent said it was acceptable, and 42 per cent said the strike threat was unacceptable. The strongest support for the gardaí was in the rest of Leinster outside Dublin, where 64 per cent considered the gardaí’s actions acceptable.

Only among the wealthiest AB group of voters was there a majority who believed it was unacceptable, with 53 per cent agreeing, while 42 per cent of this cohort said it was unacceptable. In all other social groups, there was a majority who though the Garda threat acceptable.

Among supporters of the different parties, Labour voters had the toughest attitudes towards the gardaí with 50 per cent saying it was unacceptable and 41 per cent saying it was acceptable.

Among Fine Gael voters opinion was almost evenly divided, with 49 per cent saying it was acceptable and 45 per cent believing the threat was unacceptable. Sinn Féin and Independent voters were strongly supportive of the right of gardaí to threaten a strike.