Fianna Fáil remains in pole position while Fine Gael’s support appears to have drifted to the Greens and other smaller parties

Sinn Féin has leapfrogged Fine Gael into second place as support for the government party declined, according to an opinion poll for The Times.

The poll is the latest to place Fianna Fáil in pole position, at 23 per cent, with only a week to go before the election next Saturday. Mary Lou McDonald’s party is the second most popular, at 21 per cent, followed by Fine Gael on 19 per cent.

Leo Varadkar’s party has placed Brexit and the economy at the centre of its pitch to be re-elected but the results suggest that the message is falling flat with voters. Fine Gael appears to have lost ground to the Greens, on 10 per cent, and other smaller parties.

The Social Democrats,