Willie Penrose victory lands Labour in seventh heaven

Labour has managed to secure its speaking rights in the new Dáil after party TD Willie Penrose retained his seat following a six-day count in Longford-Westmeath.

Party leader Joan Burton has now pledged to remain as leader, despite the party seeing its Dáil numbers reduced to just seven after a disastrous election.

Mr Penrose took the fourth and final seat after the drawn-out count saw outgoing Fine Gael TD James Bannon eliminated.

The result, leaving Labour with seven seats, secures automatic speaking rights for the bruised party which otherwise could have been left in a political wilderness in the new Dáil.

Fine Gael’s Peter Burke took the third seat, while Mr Penrose was declared elected and took the fourth.

Mr Bannon though, after being eliminated on the 14th count, has not ruled out a legal challenge and will make a decision with 14 days.

The count saw some of the 72 surplus votes of Independent Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran going to Mr Penrose (32), Mr Bannon (10) as well as Sinn Féin’s Paul Hogan (20).

A recount had been called on Tuesday morning after Mr Moran’s surplus was distributed when it emerged that Mr Bannon was just a few votes behind Mr Penrose and was due to be eliminated.

Mr Bannon, after his elimination, said it was shocking that Longford was now left without a TD for the first time since the foundation of the state.

Speaking after the result, Mr Penrose told reporters: “One should not say you’re dead until the stake is through your heart — as I know now.”

The former housing minister had conceded he would be defeated on the weekend and said: “It was a touch of Lazarus. It just shows you the vagaries of the proportional representation system.”

Mr Penrose’s victory ensures Labour’s leader, in opposition, has valuable time to question the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in the Dáil, a precious bonus to help the party maintain a profile after its setback in the election.

Meanwhile, Joan Burton told local radio she would remain on as party leader.

“I’ll do whatever the Labour Party wants me to do. I’m very happy to continue to lead the party,” she said.

“We have committed to staying in government until the next government is formed, and my guess would be it’ll be between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.”

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