Count staff sort ballots at Nemo Rangers GAA club in Cork, Ireland, during the count for the European elections. Photo: PA Images
2.47pm
The first candidate has been eliminated from the Ireland South European Parliament election after the second count.
Independent Ciaran O’Riordan from Cork city received 2,485 votes.
There could be at least 10 more counts before the next seat is filled by Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher and that may not happen until tomorrow.
The top five remains unchanged, with Michael McNamara, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and MEP Mick Wallace all in the running.
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2.10pm
There will be “strong” public support for Micheál Martin to become Taoiseach again after the next election, a Fianna Fáil junior minister has said.
Jack Chambers said that he saw “huge warmth and support” for Mr Martin’s leadership while canvassing during the local and European elections.
Mr Chambers, who was the party’s director for the local elections, also said that Sinn Féin’s lacklustre result was not a failure of strategy, and more a “rejection of Sinn Féin’s message”.
He also joined the number of senior Fianna Fáil figures who have criticised internet panel polling in the wake of a strong performance from the party in the local and European elections.
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1.30pm
Fine Gael’s Daniel Butler has been eliminated in the contest to become Limerick’s directly-elected mayor.
He is the 12th candidate to been eliminated from the election.
The Fine Gael councillor’s votes will now be distributed among the remaining candidates, which includes the frontrunner John Moran, independent candidate Helen O’Donnell and Fianna Fáil’s Dee Ryan.
Fine Gael candidate Daniel Butler. Photo: Niall Carson/PA
Speaking afterwards, Mr Butler said: “You go into an election to win it and I was in it to win it.
“There was a lot against us. We came in very late, we came in in the middle a change of leadership in the Fine Gael party and my director of elections lost his mother during it, and our house was threatened, and the safety of our family was threatened and compromised during the election.
“But we fought on and fought a very good campaign, and I think the vote that I got is reflective of the energy and innovation that I fought in the campaign.
“I fought a very high-calibre campaign and delivered a lot in a short period of time.”
1.05pm
The latest update from Ireland South is that the result of the distribution of Sean Kelly’s 8,000-vote surplus could be announced around mid-afternoon today.
Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly became the first MEP elected on Monday night, taking the first of five seats in the constituency.
Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher, who is more than 20,000 votes short of the quota, appears to be in line for a good proportion of the transfers.
After those votes are distributed, the candidates on the lowest number of votes will be eliminated one by one and their votes distributed, with Mr Kelleher hoping to get elected this evening.
Next in the race for the remaining seats are independent TD Michael McNamara, Fianna Fáil candidate and 1994 Eurovision host Cynthia Ni Mhurchu. Outgoing MEP Mick Wallace, Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion and the Green Party’s Grace O’Sullivan also look to be contention.
The count in Cork could extend into Thursday. Follow the latest here.
12.15pm
Counting is back underway at the RDS for the Dublin constituency, but it will be a while before anyone is elected.
Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews continues to lead the way with over 63,800 votes – 1,300 clear of Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty.
After that, Niall Boylan is in third with over 39,600 – 1,100 clear of Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan in fourth. Her running mate Daithí Doolan’s 11,000 votes are currently being distributed.
Incumbent Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe is next on 33,000, marginally clear of Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.
Click here to get the latest on the count.
11.25am
Sinn Féin’s Maurice Quinlivan has been eliminated from the Limerick mayoral race on the ninth count.
The TD finished the race more than 9,400 votes behind Independent candidate John Moran, who currently has 20,982 votes.
His votes will now be distributed among the remaining candidates, which includes the frontrunner Mr Moran, Independent candidate Helen O’Donnell, Fianna Fáil’s Dee Ryan and Fine Gael’s Daniel Butler.
Sinn Féin candidate Maurice Quinlivan (second from left) watches vote counting at Limerick Racecourse. Photo: Niall Carson/PA
Speaking afterwards, Mr Quinlivan said: “It’s a long count. The count is progressing and I want to thank everybody who came out and voted for myself.
“I really appreciate every single person who took time to come out, but also to thank those people who engaged in the mayoral campaign in the last number of weeks.
“I think it was a really positive campaign. One of the most positive campaigns we have been involved in.
“All the candidates did themselves good. So, I want to wish whoever wins all the best for the role.”
11.10am
There will be “strong” public support for Micheál Martin to become taoiseach again after the next election, a Fianna Fáil junior minister has said.
Jack Chambers said that he saw “huge warmth and support” for Mr Martin’s leadership while canvassing during the elections.
Mr Chambers, who was the party’s director for the local elections, also said that Sinn Féin’s lacklustre result was not a failure of strategy, and more a “rejection of Sinn Féin’s message”.
Fianna Fáil figures have praised Mr Martin’s leadership as part of the reason for its steady performance.
Mr Martin said his party had done “far better than predicted”, and that “the moral of the story” of the elections is that polls should not be taken as “gospel”.
Mr Chambers agreed: “I think polling is having a disproportionate impact on the wider public narrative about party support.
“I think we have to be more balanced in our assessment or when we hear about the margin of error of polls, if the polling companies now set out that the margin of error is plus or minus 8 per cent, maybe that’s a more accurate margin of error.”
He said he did not panic when polls put the party at the mid-teens, but said it was “frustrating at times” to have to respond to a “national narrative” about the party’s position.
10.45am
The Taoiseach has expressed concern about the growth of the far right in Europe and said Ireland is not immune to that rise.
Far right parties are doing well in the elections across Europe, with some anti-immigration candidates getting elected to councils here.
“We have seen it significantly grow in some European countries and we are not immune from that here,” Mr Harris told Newstalk on his way to a Cabinet meeting this morning.
The Taoiseach said now is the time for centrist politicians to show “courage and guts” on the big issues that are concerning voters.
10.20am
Is a general election looming after these latest results?
The Irish Independent and the Irish Daily Mail have front page stories today about the prospects of by-elections and a snap election after a steady showing for the Government parties in the local and European polls.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald last night challenged the Taoiseach to “bring it on” and call an early general election.
She also rejected any suggestion Taoiseach Simon Harris would be doing her a favour if he stuck to his original plan to go to the polls in early 2025.
We can expect speculation over a Dáil election to grow further over the coming weeks and days…
Read more: Tuesday’s front pages
9.50am
Independent candidate John Moran topped the Limerick mayoral election yesterday, but vote counting in the landmark poll will continue today as he remains well short of the quota.
Mr Moran received a total of 18,308 first preference votes in the first count, and was followed in second place by another independent candidate, Helen O’Donnell, who received 12,903 votes.
Fianna Fáil candidate Dee Ryan is in third place while Fine Gael’s candidate Daniel Butler was in fourth place. Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan was in fifth place.
The quota is 39,873 votes.
9.30am
After three days of counting, there are still unfilled seats on some councils. Here is a quick rundown:
Carlow – 2 seats to fill
Kildare – 3 seats to fill
Meath – 5 seats to fill
Offaly – 2 seats to fill
And here’s the current state of the parties in local authorities:
You can compare this year’s local results with the 2019 election and get further detail on the vote share in your area by clicking here.
9.05am
Counting also resumes later in the Midlands-North-West constituency, where Fine Gael looks set to get both sitting MEP Maria Walsh and newcomer Nina Carberry elected.
Luke Ming Flanagan topped the poll, and is closely followed by Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen.
Former RTÉ reporter Ciarán Mullooly is in a good position to take the fifth and final seat, while Sinn Féin is likely to miss out.
The fourth count will get underway at the TF Royal in Castlebar at 10am this morning.
8.55am
Daithí Doolan’s 11,000 votes will be distributed as counting resumes for the Dublin constituency later this morning.
They’re likely to benefit his Sinn Féin running mate Lynn Boylan, who was overtaken by Independent Ireland’s Niall Boylan into third place at the 13th count last night.
Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews and Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty continue to lead the way.
Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe and Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin are also in the mix for the final two seats.
8.45am
Good morning.
With vote counting set to resume, there are still 12 of the 949 council seats to be filled, 13 of the 14 seats in the European Parliament to be confirmed, plus a mayoral contest in Limerick to be decided.
We’ll bring you the latest throughout the day here on breakingnews.ie.
Source link : https://www.breakingnews.ie/elections/european-and-local-elections-live-mep-seats-expected-to-be-filled-1636663.html
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Publish date : 2024-06-11 19:41:15
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