SF's Ó Laoghaire elected on first count in Cork South Central
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has been elected to the Dáil on the first count in Cork South Central
Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire looks set to top the poll in Cork South Central.
With 134 of its 137 boxes open in the four-seat constituency, tallies show O Laoighaire with almost 25% of the vote, almost double that of his 2016 general election performance, when he took the fourth seat with just over 12.5% of the vote.
Tallies show he is polling ahead of Tánaiste Simon Coveney, who is on just over 16% of the vote, ahead of Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin, with 19%, and ahead of Fianna Fáil spokesperson on finance, Michael McGrath, who is on just over 16% and who topped the poll in the 2016 general election.
Tallies put the Green Party candidate, city councillor Lorna Bogue, on just over 9% with Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer on almost 5%.
The turnout at the moment is forecast to be almost 63%. The turnout in this constituency for the 2016 general election was 66.39%.
Just three boxes are left to be opened but it is understood they have less than 50 ballots in each and are unlikely to have any significant effect on the final tallies.
Mr Ó Laoghaire said his party's policies and vision, particularly around housing, had connected with a broad range of age groups.
"There is a whole generation of people out there who feel locked out of the possibility of ever having their own home, people who are 10-years on the housing waiting list, or they may not qualify for social housing, and for whom a mortgage is complete out of reach for them, with rent rising all the time," he said.
"And in that context, the complete failure of the political establishment to deal with that, to give people the opportunity of that most basic of needs, that was the key issue for them."
All but 3 boxes open in #Cork South Central and final tallies show SF’s Donnchadh Ó Laoighaire set to top the poll, ahead of Tanaiste Simon Coveney, FF leader Micheál Martin and his party’s finance spokesperson Michael McGrath - more on https://t.co/Xxa5k5VEv1 #iestaff #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/1Quae2A4DH
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) February 9, 2020
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