For the first time in the build up to the general election Enda Kenny is the most popular leader, but the polls aren't so kind to Eamon Gilmore and Labour.

The latest pair of opinion polls, for the Sunday Business Post and the Sunday Independent, have Fine Gael on course to lead the next Government, and have Enda Kenny as the man with the most support to take over from Brian Cowen (remember him?) as Taoiseach.

The Sunday Business Post/Red C poll suggests that support for Fine Gael is up one to 39 per cent but Labour have dropped by three per cent to 17 per cent, just one point ahead of Fianna Fáil on 16 per cent.

Sinn Féin are up two points at 12 per cent and the Greens are at 2 per cent (down one per cent).

Independents remained unchanged with an impressive 14 per cent.

In the same poll, Enda gets 31 per cent support for becoming the next Taoiseach, ahead of Micheál Martin on 26 per cent and Eamon Gilmore on 21 per cent.

In the second of Sunday's polls, a Millward Brown Lansdowne pool for the Sunday Independent, Fine Gael are down one to 37 per cent, Labour are down three to 20 per cent, Fianna Fáil  are up four to 16 per cent, Sinn Féin  are up two to 12 per cent, the Greens are unchanged at 1 per cent, and Independents and others are down two points to 14 per cent.

The Sunday Independent measured "satisfaction with the party leaders" rather than asking who should be the new Taoiseach.

In response to that question, Eamon Gilmore was up five points to 46 per cent, Enda Kenny saw a massive increase of 11 points to 41 per cent, Micheál Martin drops four to 38 per cent.

Gerry Adams is up seven to 33 per cent, and John Gormley doubles his satisfaction rating, from 13 per cent to 26 per cent.