Byelections 2019: Fianna Fáil's Malcolm Byrne elected to Dáil in Wexford

Latest 7.20pm: Verona Murphy has been eliminated from the Wexford By-election.

Additional reporting by Digital Desk Staff

Latest: Fianna Fáil's Malcolm Byrne has been elected in the Wexford byelection.

The Fianna Fáil candidate claimed the byelection following the final count against Labour's George Lawlor.

Mr Byrne took the seat with 18,830 votes, over 3,000 votes clear of Lawlor.

Speaking after his election Mr Byrne said: “Racism and the language of hate and division has no place in Wexford politics. Wexford is better than that”

Latest 7.00pm: Verona Murphy has been eliminated from the Wexford By-election.

The Fine Gael candidate has been overtaken by Labour's George Lawlor following the fourth count.

Lawlor is just under 4,000 votes behind Fianna Fail's Malcolm Byrne, who leads the way on 14,729 ahead of the final count.

Latest 5pm: Malcolm Byrne has topped the poll in the second count in the Wexford byelection with 12,660 votes.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael byelection candidate Verona Murphy has insisted

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Speaking as counting continues in the Wexford byelection, Ms Murphy said she now wants to focus on local issues and has already apologised for her asylum seeker comments.

"I've raised the vote of Fine Gael in the county Wexford, so we have another six months in which to prepare for a general election," she said of her intention to run for the party.

Earlier: Fianna Fáil candidate Malcolm Byrne has topped to poll in the Wexford by-election securing 12,506 first preference votes.

However, the result of the by-election is far from clear cut with Fine Gael's Verona Murphy securing 9,543 first preferences and Labour's George Lawlor behind her on 8,024 votes.

The final outcome will now come down to transfers with the quota set at 20,035.

Three candidates - Melissa O'Neill, Charlie Keddy and Cinnamon Blackmore have been eliminated after the first count.

Also still in the race are Sinn Féin's Johnny Mythen who got 4,125 votes, Aontú candidate Jim Codd who received 2,102 first preferences and Green Party member Karin Dubsky who won 2,490 votes.

In total 40,382 people voted in the Wexford constituency and there were 314 spoiled votes.