Wipeout

BRIAN COWEN’S bruised and battered Government will stagger on in office after the Green Party admitted it dare not pull out of coalition and risk a general election.

Mr Cowen insisted he was unaware of any criticism of his leadership within Fianna Fáil, despite disastrous local election results being compounded last night by the likely loss of the party’s Dublin MEP Eoin Ryan. Mr Cowen also said the Government would defeat a motion of no confidence being tabled by Fine Gael in the Dáil tomorrow, and rejected suggestions his mandate had been weakened.

But all eyes were on the Greens after they lost 15 of its 18 councillors and saw their Euro and Dáil by-election candidates flop in a nightmare outcome for party leader John Gormley.

A similar backlash in a general election would leave the party at risk of losing all six of its TDs, and the Greens admitted their only option was to remain in coalition and somehow attempt to recover support.

But Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, celebrating after his party became the biggest at local authority level and saw George Lee win a spectacular victory in the Dublin South by-election, claimed the Government no longer had any credibility.

“This Government has lost the confidence of the people and has been rejected by three-quarters of the electorate,” he said.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, whose party similarly made impressive gains in the local elections and saw Nessa Childers in line to win a European seat, also called on the Government to go.

But Mr Gormley, while admitting the results for his party were “extremely disappointing”, insisted: “We are committed, of course, to continuing in Government.” Mr Cowen admitted Fianna Fáil had lost “some stalwart people”, but claimed to have the support of all his backbenchers. Fianna Fáil and the Greens were united in their determination to restore economic stability, he added. With 812 of the 883 city and county council seats filled last night, Fine Gael had 315, Fianna Fáil 194, Labour 125, Sinn Féin 49, the Greens 3 and Independents and others 126.

The first counts in the European elections were announced after 9pm and saw Labour’s Proinsias de Rossa and Fine Gael’s Gay Mitchell on course to be elected in Dublin. The final seat developed into a battle between Fianna Fáil MEP Mr Ryan, Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald and Socialist Party candidate Joe Higgins, with Fianna Fáil privately admitting Mr Higgins was likely to win. In South, Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley topped the poll in a rare highlight for the party. Fine Gael candidate Sean Kelly was on course to win the second seat, with the third a fight between Independent MEP Kathy Sinnot, Fine Gael MEP Colm Burke, Labour’s Alan Kelly, and Sinn Féin’s Toireasa Ferris.

In East, Fine Gael MEP Máiréad McGuinness topped the poll and was reelected on first count, with Labour’s Ms Childers set for a stunning win by taking the second seat. The third seat looked destined for sitting FF MEP Liam Aylward.

In North West, Independent MEP Marian Harkin and Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins were on track to win re-election. Pat the Cope Gallagher looked set to retain the final seat for Fianna Fáil and defeat Libertas founder Declan Ganley in the process. Mr Ganley had pledged not to front a second anti-Lisbon campaign if he failed to win a seat. Victory in the second Dáil by-election in Dublin Central went to Independent Maureen O’Sullivan, who retained the seat held by her former colleague and friend, the late Independent TD Tony Gregory.