Ahern almost certain to secure third term in power

The outgoing Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, is almost certain to be facing into another five years in the job following Thursday's election.

With most of the counts complete, Fianna Fáil looks like winning 78 seats, Fine Gael 51 and Labour 20 or 21.

The current state of the parties is Fianna Fáil 71, Fine Gael 43, Labour 16, the Greens five, Sinn Féin three, independents three and the PDs two.

Last night, Ciaran Cuffe of the Green Party managed to hang on to the last seat in Dun Laoghaire following a hard-fought battle with Richard Boyd Barrett of the Socialist Workers Party.

Labour's Joe Costello and Fianna Fáil's Cyprian Brady were also elected on the final count in Dublin Central, while independent Finian McGrath beat Fianna Fáil's Ivor Callelly to the final seat in Dublin North Central.

Fine Gael's Alan Shatter managed to regain a seat in Dublin South at the expense of PD deputy leader Liz O'Donnell, while the party also picked up a third seat in Mayo for football manager John O'Mahoney.

Fianna Fáil's Dara Calleary and independent Beverly Flynn took the other two seats.

Elsewhere, Fianna Fáil secured a second seat in Donegal North East in the early hours of the morning when Niall Blaney edged out Sinn Féin's Padraig McLochlinn.

However, the party's third candidate, Celia Keaveney, failed to get re-elected, with Joe McHugh gaining a seat for Fine Gael.