The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has backed the Tánaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton to retain her seat in Dublin West, by saying: "She's a fighter".

A new poll suggests the Tánaiste is facing a battle to save her own seat in the constituency.

Mr Kenny said: "She's done a lot to turn around many of the issues in so far as our country is concerned.

"Poverty and lack of a job here is the biggest source of inequality in the country, and Joan Burton has driven that as Minister for Social Protection, and now as Tánaiste.

"She's a fighter, I'm glad to see Fine Gael turning up well in that particular poll, not that I've any great belief in them."

The Millward Browne survey, which is published in today's Irish Independent, polled 520 voters and was carried out between February 5 and 8.

The specific constituency poll shows Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein's Paul Donnelly ahead on 20%.

Fianna Fáil's Jack Chambers is on 17%, Ruth Coppinger of the Anti-Austerity Alliance is on 15% and she's followed by the Tánaiste on 10%.

Independent David McGuinness stands on 9%.

Geoff Boyle is on 3%, with Fine Gael's Catherine Noone, Independent TJ Clare and the Green's Roderic O'Gorman all on 2%.

Finally, Independent Lorna Nolan stands on 1% in the poll.