Fianna Fail will still be aiming to win three seats in Waterford City at the Local elections this summer despite the trouncing the party received in a national media poll.

Fianna Fail, PRO, Brian Jordan, said that the party is hoping to take a seat from each ward and while he had noticed the drop in support, he said that 'the only poll that matters is the one on election day'.

Meanwhile, two Fianna Fail representatives in Waterford have spoken about the public backlash they have received personally as a result of the economic crisis and decisions made by the government.

Waterford TD, Brendan Kenneally, said that he, like his Fianna Fail colleagues, have had to face constituents working in the public sector at clinics who are in opposition to the pension levy while Cllr Tom Murphy told Waterford Today that he has already faced the wrath of his constituents as a result of the budget.

Fianna Fail representatives, Brendan Kenneally TD and Waterford City Councillor, Tom Murphy, gave their reaction to Waterford Today after The Irish Times/TNS MRBI Poll published last week put Fianna Fail in third place behind Fine Gael and the Labour Party.

The opinion poll placed Fine Gael with first position among political parties with 32%, with Labour on 24% and Fianna Fail with just 22%, one of the lowest opinion ratings in their history.

Fianna Fail TD, Brendan Kenneally told Waterford Today that he does not believe that the poll would be representative of support in an election but speculated that a lot of disenchanted Fianna Fail supporters weighed in behind Labour and that it was up to Fianna Fail to win these voters back.

While being verbally trounced at City Council meetings and being the source of anger from the proposed Ward Closure at St. Patrick's Hospital to the Waterford Crystal crisis, Waterford City's Fianna Fail candidates go into the next local elections hoping to increase the seat count beyond the solitary single seat they hold now.

The Labour Party, the Workers' Party, Sinn Fein, the Green Party and Fianna Fail have all unveiled their candidates for the 5th June vote.

Fine Gael have not made their candidates known though Cllr Tom Cunningham told Waterford Today that he and all sitting councillors for the party (Cllr Jim D'Arcy, Cllr Mary O'Halloran & Cllr Hilary Quinlan) will be running this year. Cllr Cunningham also said that there would be a convention to decide the candidates in the week of 27th February.

The situation regarding Fianna Fail's candidate selection for Waterford City was delayed because candidates needed to be interviewed by the national executive. Since the decision was made, the party had one less candidate when Michael Ivory left the party to run as an Independent. However, Fianna Fail PRO for Waterford City, Brian Jordan, said that his party is the only one that can 'shake-up' the dynamic of Waterford City Council pact.

When asked if the poll published last week was expected by the party, Brendan Kenneally TD, commented: “No, I didn't think it was expected but at the same time, we would expect to have taken some hit in support with the necessary measures we have taken with the economy”.

Cllr Tom Murphy said that the recession is affecting everyone from the 'chipper to the restaurant and the pub' and that being the party in power, Fianna Fail would suffer the nerves of the people, saying: “We, in power, will get the bigger backlash”.

The Ballybeg-based councillor also said that the situation at Waterford Crystal and the proposed closure of St Brigid's Ward in St Patrick's Hospital as the two key issues facing his party going into the local elections in June.

Waterford City will have the same number of councillors this year (15) but there will be six elected from city east (ward two) and only five from city south (ward three).