#GE2020 main points: Tánaiste elected on final count in Cork South Central
THE MAIN POINTS:
- Fine Gael's Simon Coveney and Fianna Fáil's Michael McGrath have been elected on the eighth count in Cork South Central. Mc Grath was elected without reaching the quota.
- Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy has been elected in Kildare North on the third count. She initially topped the poll with 9,808 votes with a final tally of 11,008.
- Outgoing Fine Gael Minister Regina Doherty has lost her seat in Meath East, while former Labour leader Joan Burton loses seat in Dublin West
- Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy has been elected in Cavan-Monaghan.
- Fine Gael's Higher Education Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor has lost her seat in Dún Laoghaire.
- Ruth Coppinger of People Before Profit has lost her seat in Dublin West.
- Willie O'Dea of Fianna Fáil has retained his seat in Limerick city after the second count.
- Sorcha Clarke has become the first Sinn Féin TD to be elected in either Longford or Westmeath for over 60 years..
- Pearse Doherty and Pádraig MacLochlainn of Sinn Féin have been elected on the first count in Donegal.
- Solidarity's Richard Boyd Barrett has retained his seat in Dun Laoghaire.
- Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and FF leader Micheal Martin are elected on 5th and 6th counts respectively.
- People Before Profit TD Brid Smith has kept her seat in Dublin South Central after the second count
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The Tánaiste Simon Coveney and Fianna Fáil's finance spokesperson, Michael McGrath, have been elected in Cork South Central.
The constituency has returned the same representatives it did in 2016 - two Fianna Fáil, one Fine Gael and one Sinn Féin.
Mr Coveney had to wait just over seven hours after Sinn Féin's Donnchadh O Laoghaire topped the poll to be elected on the eighth count, after he exceeded the 11,429 quota with 12,170 votes.
Because Mr McGrath, with 10,809 votes, had more votes that the other remaining candidate, Green Party Cork city councillor Lorna Bogue, on 9,179, plus the untransferred surplus, he was deemed to be elected, without reaching the quota, taking the fourth and final seat.
Asked about the prospect of coalition government with Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he thought some were “jumping the gun” following comments he made earlier.
“I think people are jumping the gun in terms of interpreting what I said today, as I said one doesn’t change one’s policies and principles overnight,” he said.
I’m disappointed that Simon Coveney says Fine Gael won’t talk to Sinn Féin. Obviously a misguided effort to wrong foot Fianna Fáil. But I thought he was better than that. Incompatible policies fair enough. But has he learned nothing from the DUP? Sinn Féin voters lesser voters?
— Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) February 9, 2020
“That said, today’s a day to let the election happen, let the election unfold, let people enjoy their elections and so on. In the cold light of day, tomorrow and the day after, we will assess where we are, because I am not taking anything for granted because I know that some people are saying we could be anything from 40 to 46.
"I have been in touch with colleagues, there is a lot now riding on transfers and distributions … places like Wexford and Donegal.
“I am very conscious our first priority is to assess how we are doing and how we’ll actually do, we’ll know all that tomorrow.”
Asked would he take a call from Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald, Mr Martin said: “I think Sinn Féin have already made it clear they don’t want to talk to Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, I think all their statements are consistent all day long saying the last thing they want in government is Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, so that’s their decision.”
Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy has topped the poll in Cavan-Monaghan, ahead of Minister for Business Heather Humphreys.
Mr Carthy was elected with 22.6% of the first preference vote. His surplus will be redistributed tomorrow morning, when it is anticipated his running mate, Pauline Tully, will be elected.
Ms Humphreys received 17.74% of the vote, followed by Ms Tully on 14.08% of the vote.
The final two seats will be likely a contest between Brendan Smith (FF), who got 10.19% of the vote, Niamh Smyth (FF) who is on 7.96%, TP O’Reilly (FG) who is on 7.1%, and Fianna Fáil Senator Robbie Gallagher, on 7.01%.
FG and FF leaders elected on fifth and sixth counts; Healy-Rae and Pa Daley returned in Kerry
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been elected on the fifth count in Dublin West while former Labour leader Joan Burton has lost her seat.
Mary Mitchell-O'Connor is about to lose her seat – the FF team in Dún Laoghaire are fairly confident that Richard Boyd-Barrett's surplus will narrowly favour Cormac Devlin over her. He had a lead of 20 (twenty!) before RBB's surplus of nearly 4000. #ge2020
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 9, 2020
Mr Varadkar's election follows that of Sinn Féin's Paul Donnely, who took the top spot in the constituency and was elected earlier this evening on the first count.
Fine Gael tonight have ruled out a number of scenarios in forming a government or cooperating with parties in power.
While Mr Varadkar said his party would not work with Sinn Féin and would not be involved in any "forced marriage" with the party, Tánaiste Simon Coveney tonight has also closed the door on alternative options.
Mr Coveney said Fine Gael would not work in a confidence and supply agreement. Such a deal operated with Fianna Fáil supporting the Fine Gael-led government for almost the last four years.
But Mr Coveney told RTE he had seen what had been done to Fianna Fáil after working in this arrangement and that his party would not be part of such a process.
Both @LeoVaradkar and @MichealMartinTD have been elected while former Tanaiste Joan Burton has lost her seat #iestaff
— Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) February 9, 2020
This now firmly puts pressure back on Fianna Fáil to cobble together a government-if it gets the most seats-either with Sinn Féin or with other smaller parties.
Sinn Féin have said they are open to working with all parties.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin has been elected on the sixth count in his Cork South Central Constituency.
In Kerry, Michael Healy Rae (Ind) and Pa Daley (SF) have been elected on the first count in Kerry. The biggest loser of the count is expected to be Fianna Fáil's John Brassil while Danny Healy-Rae looks on course to retain his seat. Counting has been adjourned and resumes tomorrow at 9am.
Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin’s immediate reaction after retaining his seat in #Cork South Central #iestaff #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/xJf4jDL96A
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) February 9, 2020
Tánaiste joins Taoiseach in ruling out Fine Gael coalition with Sinn Féin
The Tánaiste Simon Coveney has again ruled out any coalition with Sinn Féin.
“I’ve said many times that I just don’t believe that the policy platform that Sinn Féin are outlining, and the approach and the policies that Sinn Féin and Fine Gael have committed to are compatible,” he said.
“I don’t think that government would work, I think the Taoiseach described it as a marriage that will be forced rather than one that will work.
“I think we have responsibility to follow through on the commitments that we made during this campaign and we’ll do that.
“I’ve always said our priority is to try and form a government that didn’t involve Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin but that clearly – the numbers don’t look like that’s going to be possible.”
He added: "I think in the aftermath of this election the likelihood of our confidence and supply type arrangements, is very unlikely. Fine Gael will either play a constructive role in government or we will be a very active party in opposition.”
In Wicklow, Fine Gael's Simon Harris is in second place (12%) behind Sinn Féin’s John Brady who has been elected on the first count after topping the poll in comprehensive style with more than 17,000 votes (24%), well in excess of the 11,000 quota.
Solidarity-People Before Profit look set to have a disappointing election and possibly only return two or three of its five outgoing TDs.
As the tallies predicted, Richard Boyd Barrett topped the poll in the south Dublin constituency of Dun Laoghaire, while Brid Smith retained her seat in Dublin South Central.
Brid Smith PBP elected 2nd count pic.twitter.com/bEmk84Clsg
— RTÉ Dublin South-Central (@RTEdubSCENTRAL) February 9, 2020
However, Paul Murphy is battling to hold his seat in Dublin South West, Gino Kenny has conceded defeat in Dublin Mid West, while Ruth Coppinger is in the chase for the last seat in Dublin West.
Ms Smith (People Before Profit - Solidarity) retained her seat on the back of a huge swathe of transfers from Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh, who topped the poll on the first count.
Smith received more than half of Ó Snodaigh’s 8,356 surplus in transfers, which saw her take the second of the four seats in the race, in the second count.
Joan Collins (Independents4Change) received 1,747 in transfers, putting her on 4,578 votes and in fifth place.
Minister of State Catherine Byrne (Fine Gael) is in third place in the race on 5,192 vote, 179 ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Catherine Ardagh.
Shane Ross rejects idea he has been punished after he loses his seat
Twice a poll topper and the first TD elected in 2016, Shane Ross lost his seat on the fifth count in Dublin Rathdown, the same count that saw Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin elected.
Ross said he didn’t attribute the result to his performance as Minister for Transport, but rather the “volatility” of the Rathdown electorate.
“It’s a very volatile constituency. Dublin Rathdown always has been and it’s always punished its poll toppers and I was a poll topper last time and the time before.”
However, he said he did not feel he had been punished by the electorate for entering into Government with Fine Gael.
I don’t think I’ve been punished at all.
"I think what’s happened is that what the constituents have done is said we want to try something else we want a change from Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance and that is absolutely their entitlement and I accept it fully and I wish my successors a great deal of success.”
The alliance had been a “very responsible if radical” part of the Government he said.
“My colleagues and I certainly had an effect on the way government operated and we’re proud of that.”
Peter Casey forecasts another election within months
The former Presidential candidate Peter Casey made a brief appearance at the Donegal count centre in Letterkenny.
He said “of course” he was disappointed to receive only 1.48 of the first preference votes, and blamed “bad timing” and restrictions from Facebook for his poor performance, but did not run out standing for election again: “It’s too early to say. I have no doubt that I will resurrect something, it may not be in politics.”
Mr Casey, who also ran in Dublin West, said it “only cost €500 to get your name on the ballot”, and if had brought people’s attention what he described as “the mistakes of Leo’s government” then it was worth it.
He congratulated Sinn Féin and said “fair play” to the party. “I think they’ve done a wonderful campaign, they just miscalculated how wonderful they were doing.
Here is the moment Leo Varadkar realised he was not elected on the second count in #DublinWest.
— Rob O'Hanrahan (@RobOHanrahan) February 9, 2020
He got 118 transfers. Peter Casey got 213.#GE2020 #GeneralElection @JOEdotie pic.twitter.com/W2SAiuYpuu
“They should have put up another 30 candidates and they probably would have got another 20 elected, for this reason I think we’ll probably be back to the polls within two or three months,” he said.
But he said he was not optimistic a lasting coalition could be formed.
“It’s hard to see how anyone can go into a coalition because Fianna Fáil have said they won’t go with Fine Gael, Fine Gael have said they won’t go with Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin have said they’ll talk to anybody but everybody’s said they won’t go with Sinn Féin.
“It’s hard to see how anyone could get a coalition of more than 40, 50, 60 people max and that’s well short of the 80 you need for a stable government.”
Counting is continuing in Donegal, with the results of the first count expected between 8-9pm this evening.
Independent TD Shane Ross has conceded that he will not retain his seat in Dublin-Rathdown.
“My own situation is worse than precarious,” says @Shane_RossTD #iestaff
— Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) February 9, 2020
Deputy leader of the Green Party, Catherine Martin, is the first person elected there with Fine Gael's Neale Richmond and Josepha Madigan poised to take the final two seats..
Varadkar rules out coalition with Sinn Féin as Martin hints at possible deal
The Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has opened the door to a possible deal with Sinn Féin despite "significant incompatibility" between their policy platforms.
Mr Martin said: "There is significant incompatibility in terms of the policy platforms between ourselves and Sinn Féin. I would just have to put that marker down now."
However, he said "the country comes first" and he pointed to the fact the Fianna Fáil facilitated the formation of a functioning government after the last general election.
"There is an onus and an obligation on all to ensure that such a functioning government is formed after this," he said.
Varadkar not willing to talk with Sinn Féin about govt formation
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will not be speaking to Sinn Féin with a view to forming a coalition after the election.
Speaking at his count centre in Dublin, he said his party Fine Gael was “not compatible with Sinn Féin”.
“We are willing to talk to other parties about how we could form a government and give this country a government that can spend the next five years dealing with the problems that we have had to tackle for the past few years.”
Asked if he will speak to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald after she had reportedly reached out to other parties, he said: “No, not at this stage anyway”.
He added: “She has not been in touch with me yet, we would talk on occasion. I understand she has said she is seeking to form a left-wing coalition which does not include Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.
“I am not sure that is possible on the numbers so it is going to be a number of weeks before we are in a position to form a government.”
Mr Varadkar has said he is not disappointed in his own performance in the election, despite a Sinn Féin candidate being elected ahead of him.
Speaking at the count centre, the Taoiseach said: “The results are still coming in from around the country and it seems as though we have a three-party system and three parties getting roughly the same number of seats and that is going to make forming a government quite difficult.”
“We do not know yet if any of the parties have enough seats to form a majority in the Dáil. We have to count the votes and see what the lie of the land is tonight and tomorrow. ”
“In terms of coalition speculation, I have made my position and the party’s position clear during the campaign and we won the votes that we won, based on that decision.”
“It is an increase on my vote in the past three elections and I topped the poll the last time which was a nice experience. I have been elected four times in a row and I am very grateful for today.”
Sinn Féin vows to work with like-minded parties after 'election about change'
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald's poll-topping performance in Dublin Central was confirmed when she was the first candidate elected with 11,223 votes.
Ms McDonald was embraced by supporters as the result was announced inside the RDS count centre in Dublin.
Asked if the result marked a revolution in Irish politics, Ms McDonald replied: “Yes, you could call it that for sure.”
She said she had been in touch with the Greens, Social Democrats and People Before Profit to discuss the prospect of them joining her party in government.
Sinn Féin President @MaryLouMcDonald tops the poll and is elected on the first count in Dublin Central #iestaff #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/RbB9ePuFej
— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) February 9, 2020
“It’s been an election about change,” she said.
“The extraordinary thing is that it seems that the political establishment – and by that I mean Fianna Fail and Fine Gael – are in a state of denial. They are still not listening to what the people have said.
“I want us to have a government for the people. I want us to have ideally a government with no Fianna Fail or Fine Gael in it. I have started the contact with other parties to explore over the next days whether that is a possibility.
“I also have to say this, that in any event I do not accept the exclusion – or talk of excluding our party – a party that represents almost a quarter of the electorate.
“I think that is fundamentally undemocratic.”
'Bad day' for Labour
Labour leader Brendan Howlin conceded it was a “bad day” for his party.
Mr Howlin was facing calls for his resignation from party supporters online even before ballot boxes were open, given the exit poll showed the party's level of support at below 5%.
The party, which has recorded a worse performance than in 2016, when it lost 30 seats, is set to miss out on several of its key target gains, falling victim to the Sinn Féin surge.
“I had hoped to make significant advances, that is not happening, but we are in contention in eight or nine constituencies. I am hoping my comrades across the country will win those final seats and until then, we won't what number will be in the next Parliamentary Labour Party. But it has not been a great day for us,” he said.Dismissing criticism of his party's campaign, Mr Howlin said the Labour messaging was “bang on”.
He called on Sinn Féin to “step over the threshold and take the reigns of power”.
Speaking at the count centre in Wexford, Mr Howlin conceded it has been “a bad day for Labour.”
Mr Howlin came second with 9,223 and is expected to be elected in the second or third counts. He was behind Sinn Féin’s Johnny Mythen who was deemed elected in Wexford with almost 19,000 votes, becoming the party’s first TD in the county in 100 years.
Mythen, who lost his lost his seat on the local council just nine months ago, captured 18,717 first preference votes or 24.75% of the total. The quota to be deemed elected was 12,513.
Sinn Féin's Paul Donnelly elected ahead of Taoiseach as party gets first four elected TDs
Sinn Féin's Donnchadh O Laoghaire is the first TD to be elected to the 33rd Dáil.
O Laoghaire, was deemed elected on the first count a few minutes ago with just over 14,057 votes. The quota was 11,429.
It's almost double his vote in the 2016 general election.
He comes ahead of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin who got 11,023 votes.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney got 9,327 just ahead of Fianna Fáil's Michael McGrath on 9,236 votes.
Sinn Fein’s Paul Donnelly has been elected in Dublin West on the first count.
It means Leo Varadkar is the first sitting Taoiseach who hasn’t topped the poll in his constituency but he will be elected on the second count.
Sinn Féin's Eoin O Broin has been elected in the first count.
He managed to get 11,842 votes in the first count there while his party counterpart Johnny Guirke has also been elected in the first count in Meath West with 12,652 votes.
Padraig MacLochlainn, who is expected to be elected in Donegal, has said that Sinn Féin is “deadly serious that we want to be in government” and is in a “very strong position” to negotiate.
Counting is continuing in Donegal, but according to the final tally Mr MacLochlainn and his party colleague Pearse Doherty are both expected be elected on the first count.
Mr MacLochlain said that while his preference “would not be for Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael to be in this next government, we have to look at the numbers.”
He was certain, however, that Sinn Féin “will not enter government unless the core components of our manifesto can be delivered. We need to deliver the real change that people need.
“That said,” he added, “with the numbers of TDs that we seem to be electing I think we’ll be in a very strong position to negotiate for a very strong government platform.”
Sinn Féin could increase its Dáil seat numbers by between 10 and 15, cementing their place as the third large party in Irish politics.
The extent of the surge has led to early calls from within Fianna Fáil for them to open discussions with Mary Lou McDonald's party about government formation.
The first count was in Galway East with no one elected and a raft of first counts is expected over the next hour when we may see the first TD elected to the 33rd Dáil
Breaking: @fiannafailparty's @JMcGuinnessTD say the party must talk to all potential coalition partners including @sinnfeinireland. #iestaff
— Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) February 9, 2020
Even though Micheál Martin has ruled out any coalition deal with Sinn Féin, Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness has said all options must be considered.
Incredibly, in constituencies throughout the country where the party suffered major losses in last year's local elections, Sinn Féin candidates are not only topping the poll, some are coming back with up to two quotas.
The party is up on the exit poll with most of the tallies across the country done. At least 37 of the 42 Sinn Féin candidates are in serious contention for a seat.
Ms McDonald has said she is already started talking to other parties about trying to form a government without Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
Arriving at the RDS count centre Sinn Féin President @MaryLouMcDonald says the party have already spoken to @greenparty_ie @SocDems and Solidarity-PBP about forming a Government without @FineGael and @fiannafailparty #iestaff pic.twitter.com/wxMqG7Bioh
— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) February 9, 2020
She drew massive cheers as she arrived at the RDS this afternoon to be thronged by dozens of journalists and photographers.
Speaking at the RDS, she said she wants to explore whether such a new Government would be possible.
"I also have consistently said that I will talk to and listen to everybody, I think that is what grown-ups do and that is what democracy demands."
She said it was "not sustainable" for either Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin "to say they will not speak to us, representatives of such a sizeable section of the Irish electorate."
She said she was not shocked by the country-wide surge in support and acknowledged that the party should have fielded more candidates.
It is a big statement of change. This is no longer a two party system. People want a different type of Government.
Her party could return to Leinster House with as many as 37 or 38 seats based on the current tallies.
As an illustration of how strong the swing to Sinn Féin is, final tallies show that Sinn Féin is set to take a Dáil seat in Roscommon for the first time in 102 years.
In Cork South Central, Sinn Féin's Donnchadh Ó Laoighaire ahead of three heavy-hitters in Micheál Martin, Simon Coveney and Michael McGrath
In Dublin Mid West, Sinn Féin will be home early with the first two seats through Eoin Ó Broin and Mark Ward, when such a scenario looked impossible just a few days ago.
To illustrate the disruptive nature of the Sinn Féin surge, the final tally in Dublin Bay North put Denise Mitchell on 30% of first preferences, Fine Gael minister Richard Bruton on 16% and Aodhan O Riordain of Labour on 11%. Ms Mitchell was tipped to lose her seat less than two weeks ago.
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