FG's Flanagan takes first seat in Laois Offaly

Fine Gael's Charlie Flanagan has taken the first seat in Laois Offaly after the eighth count.

The newly elected TD has expressed a preference for a coalition government with Labour.

Mr Flanagan doesn't believe a deal with Independents would work.

He said: "I don't believe that Fine Gael with like-minded Independents could possibly govern in a decisive way. Like-minded Independents can sometimes not be as like-minded as one would like.

"We have in the past had the port-barrel stuff of the Healy-Rae's which I generally don't believe is conducive to good government or decisive leadership."