Seanad fills first Agricultural Panel seat but no first count result for NUI panel today

Outgoing Independent Senator Victor Boyhan was the first to be elected to the highly competitive Agricultural Panel, which has 11 seats to be filled.

Mr Boyhan was elected on the sixth count having exceeded the quota of 94,167.

Former Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan was set to be elected to the Seanad along with Cathaoirleach Denis O’Donovan in the ongoing count for the agricultural panel.

Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett was in fourth place and in contention to hold onto the seat she won in a by-election.

Eleven Senators will be elected out of 26 candidates from an electorate of just under 1,200 TDs, Senators and city and county councillors.

Breaking: Count 6 for the Agricultural Panel.
Victor Boyhan surpassed the quota and is deemed to be elected... just 10 seats to go #iestaff pic.twitter.com/TNsJ0fWHKs

— Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) March 31, 2020

Meanwhile, the NUI Seanad race, it appears from early tallies that the three outgoing senators – Michael McDowell, Ronan Mullen and Alice Mary Higgins – all are well placed to be returned.

However, due to social distancing requirements, the count was delayed leading to the returning officer announcing that it would be not until tomorrow before a first count could be declared.

"It seems unlikely that we will have a first count result till tomorrow, this is due to the social distancing protocols and fewer staff than normal,” Dr Attracta Halpin, the NUI returning officer said.

Three former TDs are among the first five people to be elected to the Seanad.

Breaking: the NUI Returning officer has said: "It seems unlikely that we will have a first count result till tomorrow" this is due to the social distancing protocols and fewer staff than normal #iestaff

— Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) March 31, 2020

Former government chief whip and Fine Gael TD Sean Kyne was the first person to be elected today on the upper chamber's Cultural and Educational panel.

Former Fianna Fáil TDs Lisa Chambers and Malcolm Byrne who also lost their seats in February's general election were elected.

Former Sinn Féin senator Fintan Warfield and Fine Gael county councillor John McGahon were also elected.

Mr Kyne was the first person elected to the new Seanad having passed the quota on the 14th count on the Cultural and Educational Panel.

Benefitting from significant from transfers from party colleagues eliminated, Mr Kyne lost his Dáil seat in the February General Election but is seen as close to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Green Party hopeful Saoirse McHugh had secured a strong first preference vote and was well placed up until the end, but she ultimately struggled to remain transfer friendly and was pipped by Mr McGahon.

This election has seen some high-profile losses with former Fianna Fáil TD Declan Breathnach eliminated on the ninth count. Mr Breathnach said that in estimating the support of voters “you should count the number of votes you’re promised and divide by two”.

Fine Gael’s Tom Neville, lost his Limerick Dáil seat in the general election also lost out on seat when counting stopped shortly before midnight on Monday.

Along with Mr Neville failing to secure a seat, his outgoing Senate colleague Westmeath senator Gabrielle McFadden lost her seat and was eliminated on the 10th count.