The poor turnout in last week’s by-elections might, with a Christmas-party dash of wishful thinking, be explained by an approaching general election and the by-elections’ relevance in the face of the ongoing supply and confidence arrangement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

Fine Gael’s seven MEP candidates have said they were to the fore in seeking the suspension of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban from their European party grouping.

Fine Gael MEPs have all given their backing to Enda Kenny’s position as leader of the party, it has emerged.