Verona Murphy insists she will run in next General Election

Fine Gael byelection candidate Verona Murphy has insisted she will be running for the party in the next General Election.

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.

Fianna Fáil's Malcolm Byrne is currently leading the race for the Wexford seat after two rounds of counting. Ms Murphy is in second poistion, while Labour's George Lawlor is third.

Asked about the controversial remarks which she made about asylum seekers during the election campaign, Ms Murphy said: "I've apologised for those comments and that's all you have to say on that."

Thanking those in Fine Gael who canvassed for her, she said: "We had a wonderful campaign. I had huge support.

What I am most looking forward to now is getting down to the issues that the people raised on the doorsteps and that I can get to work.

However, she admitted that the election campaign had been a "learning curve".

Also arriving at the Wexford count centre, Mr Byrne said he had ran a "positive campaign" which was focused on the issues that matter to those living in the constituency.

He said: "It is concerning that when candidates make remarks as part of a strategy that just is a dog whistle strategy. It's never been the kind of politics that I think is appropriate and I don't think that, you know, the voters and Co Wexford thought it was appropriate."

Mr Byrne said: "I'm very grateful with the result that we obtained in the first counts, but obviously there's a number of counts to go so it will be later this evening before we get the final results."