Two more Senate seats taken

Two seats remain on the cultural and educational panel in the new Seanad.

Fianna Fail’s Pascal Mooney from County Leitrim was the first to pass the quota with ten votes to spare to retake his Seanad seat.

He was joined in the past hour by Fine Gael’s Noel Coonan and former Senator Brian Hayes of Fine Gael, leaving two more places to be filled on the panel.

These seats will be fought between three Fianna Fail candidates - Labhras O’Murchu, who had been tipped to already fill a seat, Ann Ormonde and John Brazil.

Counting of the Senate votes has been taking place at Leinster House since 11am this morning.