Election recounts - Small price to pay for democracy

An acrimonious general election recount in the Laois-Offaly constituency cost taxpayers €36,273, but the recount only added four votes to the total of Liam Quinn, the unsuccessful Fine Gael candidate who demanded the recount.

This was not enough to change the outcome of the vote.

On calling for the recount, Mr Quinn was 26 votes behind the total of the next lowest candidate — the outgoing Fianna Fáil Minister of State John Moloney. The recount was justified because errors of more than 26 votes were uncovered.