Taoiseach comes under renewed pressure to call early general election

At the RDS, Simon Harris said he was 'delighted' with Fine Gael's showing. Picture: Damien Storan

Taoiseach Simon Harris is coming under renewed pressure to call an early general election after the Government vote held strong at both local and European level.

As counting continues today, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are on track to claim seats in each of the European constituencies, while the Green performance has been described as mixed. Independents have also gained seats at local level across the country, with a number of far-right candidates breaking through for the first time.