Make-up of Dáil on hold for recounts in 3 constituencies

TWO constituencies were still undergoing recounts last night, with a third beginning this morning, as the wait goes on to see the full make-up of the next Dáil.

A full recount will get under way in Wicklow this morning at the request of outgoing junior minister Dick Roche, who was about to be eliminated after 13 counts.

Mr Roche was just three votes behind the next lowest candidate, his own running mate Pat Fitzgerald, when he formally requested a recount at teatime yesterday.

However, it is not expected that a fresh count will make a difference to his final result in the five-seater constituency.

The poll was topped by three Fine Gael candidates, all of whom will take seats, with Sinn Féin, Labour and an Independent battling for the final two.

However, there is a small chance Mr Roche could be in contention for the final seat.

Earlier in the day, Mr Roche called for an investigation into the same Independent’s election campaign, which he claimed may have breached corporate sponsorship regulations.

Mr Roche said he would consider making an official complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) about candidate Stephen Donnelly’s use of free services from a major public relations company.

Mr Donnelly was promoted heavily by PR executive, Conor Dempsey, a director of Slattery Communications, and bulletins to news outlets came from Mr Dempsey’s professional email.

Mr Donnelly said yesterday Mr Dempsey had worked for him in a personal and voluntary capacity and there was nothing for SIPO to investigate.

Meanwhile, the count in Galway West ground to a halt shortly after 4pm yesterday when a full recount was called. This was called on the request of Fine Gael candidate Fidelma Healy-Eames following an apparent discrepancy in a box from the Renmore area of Galway.

Before the recount was ordered, two of the five candidates had been deemed elected with Eamon Ó Cuív elected on the eighth count after receiving transfers from outgoing deputy Frank Fahey.

Labour’s Derek Nolan had been deemed elected on the 10th count following the elimination of Sinn Féin’s Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, meaning the party would have retained the seat held by the retiring Michael D Higgins.

However, with the recount underway, the outcome of Galway West may not be finalised until later today.

The count in Laois-Offaly is also likely to run into a third day as candidate Liam Quinn, eliminated on the 10th round, has called for a full recheck and recount. Mr Quinn of FG is just 26 votes behind outgoing TD and Minister of State, John Moloney.

Laois-Offaly was the one of the very last constituencies to return its final candidate in the 2007 election and the 2009 local election count went into a fourth day.