30 seats left to fill as counting progresses

Counting continues in nine constituencies to decide the make-up of the 31st Dáil, with 30 seats left to fill.

A total of 136 of the 166 seats are now filled - with many hours ahead to decide the final 30 deputies.

Among those elected in the past hour were outgoing Minister Eamon O'Cuiv and Labour's Gerald Nash.

Fine Gael currently stands on 61 seats, and will have at least one TD in 42 of the 43 constituencies, Dublin North West being the exception.

The party is expected to pick up 14 or 15 more seats as remaining counts come in.

Labour has a total of 33 seats at the moment, and could pick up four more in remaining counts.

Fianna Fáil has 15 seats, and may win a few more, but will probably enter the 31st Dáil with fewer than 20 TDs.

Sinn Féin may win one more seat to add to the 13 won already - the party's best ever performance in a Dáil election.

Independents and Others have 14 seats, with six others likely to make it to the 31st Dáil.

Attention this afternoon will be on Taoiseach-in-waiting Enda Kenny, who may make contact with Eamon Gilmore to open negotiations on forming a Government that would have the biggest majority in the history of the state.