FF reacts cautiously to strong exit poll showing

Fianna Fáil is reacting cautiously to this morning's exit poll showing that it looks set to repeat its performance in the 2002 General Election.

The RTÉ poll predicts Fianna Fáil will win more than 41% of first-preference votes, with Fine Gael on 26%, Labour 10%, the PDs 2.6%, the Greens 4.8% and Sinn Féin 7.3%.

Fianna Fáil general secretary Sean Dorgan has warned that the votes have yet to be counted and a lot of seats will come down to the wire.

Fine Gael's director of elections Frank Flannery said polls tended to understate Fine Gael support and overstate that of Fianna Fáil.

He said the real figures would emerge as the votes were counted throughout the day.

Former Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald, who has been keeping a close eye on the polls, said today: "In elections the final 1% is crucially important."

Green TD John Gormley describes this year's race: "This has been a very strange election".