Vote counting to start in Ireland’s European elections
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Vote counting in Ireland’s European elections will begin on Sunday while the picture of the country’s local government will continue to take shape.
As counting in the local elections goes on, the fate of the political parties and independents will become clear throughout the day.
Early indications show there will be no Sinn Féin surge while Government parties do not appear to have suffered a major electoral blow.
Irish voters will elect 14 members to the European Parliament.
Counting in the European elections will begin on Sunday morning and the results of the first tally will not be declared until after 10pm due to ongoing voting in other EU states.
Irish politics is currently dominated by a housing crisis, the cost of living and migration.
The coalition partnership of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party has been battling criticism domestically and on the continent over other issues including climate action, agriculture policy and defence co-operation in the EU.
The polls will provide political parties with evidence of voter sentiment, having had to wait more than four years since the last nationwide elections.
They are also an indicator of how new Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Simon Harris is faring, having assumed the roles around eight weeks ago after the shock resignation of Leo Varadkar.
While the count for the European elections has not officially begun, the segregating of the ballot papers allowed observers to get a sense of which candidates are performing well.
In Dublin, incomplete tallies suggested Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews and Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty were leading.
Green Party incumbent Ciaran Cuffe, Independent Ireland candidate Niall Boylan, Labour representative Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Sinn Féin hopefuls Daithí Doolan and Lynn Boylan will be fighting over the remaining two seats.
In the South constituency, Fine Gael’s Sean Kelly and Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher are considered to be in contention for re-election.
Sinn Féin will be hoping to regain a seat in the region with Kathleen Funchion, while Independent TD Michael McNamara is predicted to take the fourth seat.
In Midlands-North-West, there were reports of strong support for Fine Gael’s incumbent Maria Walsh and her running mate Nina Carberry.
Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen, Independent Ireland candidate and former RTÉ correspondent Ciaran Mullooly and Independent MEP Luke “Ming” Flanagan have also polled well in some regions across the vast constituency.