Counting has resumed for a fifth day in the Republic of Ireland following the elections to the European Parliament.
Nine of the 14 seats have not yet been filled.
No candidates have been elected in Midlands-North-West, where five MEPs will be selected.
After 10 counts, independent Luke Ming Flanagan is leading that race with 81,663 votes.
The quota for those seats stands at just over 113,000.
Will Gildernew gain transfers?
Image caption, Sinn Féin is hopeful Michelle Gildernew could take the fifth MEP seat
Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew is 12,500 votes behind independent Ciaran Mullhooly, who is currently in fifth place.
Ms Gildernew does not believe she will catch up Mr Mullhooly.
But the party is hopeful that transfers from their other candidate, Chris McManus, and boosts from other eliminations will help her take the final seat.
Fine Gael’s Nina Carberry, Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen and Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh are set to take the other three seats with about 2,500 votes between the highest and lowest candidates in that group.
Image caption, Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty secured a MEP seat on Tuesday night
Ireland has three EU constituencies which send 14 MEPs to Brussels.
On Tuesday night, Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty, Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews, Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan and Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin were elected to the European Parliament for Dublin.
This followed the election of Fine Gael’s Seán Kelly as an MEP. He topped the poll in the Ireland South constituency on Monday. Counting there continues.
The current Irish government has been in place since June 2020, when Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party voted to enter a coalition together.
Image caption, Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan was the third MEP elected in Dublin on Tuesday night
Sitting MEP Clare Daly lost her European Parliament seat in the Dublin constituency.
She was excluded on the 17th count and was the first outgoing MEP to lose her seat in the election.
She was closely followed by Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe, who lost his seat in the Dublin constituency after the 18th count.
Image caption, Sitting MEP Clare Daly has lost her European Parliament seat in the Dublin constituency
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael council election winners
Meanwhile, counting is complete in 30 of the 31 local authorities in the council elections in the Republic of Ireland.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been the main winners, and on Tuesday night Fianna Fáil had 246 seats, with Fine Gael on 245.
Independent candidates have fared well securing 185 council seats.
The main opposition party, Sinn Féin, has won 102 seats so far, well below its own target of 200.
The Labour Party has 56 seats and the Social Democrats 35.
In total there are 949 council seats in the Republic of Ireland.
The Green Party has 23 council seats so far, People Before Profit-Solidarity has 13 and Aontú eight.
The remaining three seats to be declared are in the Newbridge area of Kildare County Council where a recount is under way.
History made in Limerick
Image caption, John Moran has become Ireland’s first directly elected Mayor in Limerick
Elsewhere, Independent John Moran made history, becoming the first person in Limerick to be directly elected by the people to be their mayor.
The Limerick native is a former civil servant, banker and entrepreneur.
Image caption, The Green Party MEP Ciaran Cuffe was eliminated on the 18th count
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald admitted she was “disappointed” by her party’s council election performance but confirmed she has no plans to step down as party leader.
Commentators have suggested the party ran too many candidates which spread its votes too thinly.
Ms McDonald has said she will lead a full review into Sinn Féin’s performance.
The party’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has said the leadership of Mary Lou McDonald is not in question and that he has 100% confidence in her to lead the party into a general election campaign.
He said the party was ready to put its case to voters and show the electorate that it could bring about real change, if given power.
Source link : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1eex9y1lq9o.amp
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Publish date : 2024-06-12 05:58:54
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