NEARLY two-thirds of Irish people believe that Micheál Martin has managed the country's pandemic response poorly.
A poll ran by Red C research, which surveyed 1,000 Irish adults last week, shows that just one-in-three think the Taoiseach has handled the pandemic well.
Each respondent was asked how they thought Martin - and other world leaders - had handled the crisis.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump were among the other world leaders in the survey.
The world leader who scored highest for their handling of the pandemic was New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern, with 86% of respondents saying they feels she's handled things well.
Ms Adern was quick to close New Zealand's borders at the start of the pandemic and hasn't hesitated to put the country into lockdown at the first signs of an outbreak, however small.
Biden was in second place, with 68% believing he's managed the crisis well, followed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on 55%.
Martin's score of 33% placed him mid-table, just behind EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 34%, and just ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron on 30% and Boris Johnson on 29%.
At the bottom of the list is Donald Trump, with only 11% of respondents believing he'd managed the pandemic well during his time in the White House.
Here are the scores:
- Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand) - 86%
- Joe Biden (USA) - 68%
- Angela Merkel (Germany) - 55%
- Ursula von der Leyen (EU) - 34%
- Micheál Martin (Ireland) - 33%
- Emmanuel Macron (France) - 30%
- Boris Johnson (UK) - 29%
- Donald Trump (USA) - 11%
Younger adults were generally more critical of the Taoiseach's handling of the pandemic. Just 28% of those aged between 18 and 34 felt that Martin had done a good job, while that figure rises to 46% for respondents aged 55 and over.
See More: Covid-19, Ireland, Micheál Martin
