FF predicts winning 81 seats

Fine Gael’s director of elections, Finbar Fitzpatrick, believes the party's seat losses could run into the mid-teens. The party could be facing a loss of eight seats or more in Dublin alone.

With the three electronic counts complete, a number of first counts announced, and tallies in from every constituency, the trends in this election are already clear.

Fianna Fáil’s General Secretary, Martin Macken, predicts a total of 81 seats for the party. Labour doesn't appear to be doing as well as had been expected - even party leader Ruairi Quinn is battling to hold his seat.

The PDs have done much better than expected, Sinn Féin and the Greens look like picking up seats, and there may be more Independents in the 29th Dáil.