By-elections for four constituencies following European elections

Taoiseach Simon Harris said he has not assessed when the Government will hold the expected four by-elections to fill Dáil seats vacated by Labour's Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen, Sinn Féin's Kathleen Funchion, and Independent politician Michael McNamara.

Those final seats were eventually filled in the early hours of Friday morning after a lengthy process of transferring votes and eliminating candidates.

Mr Harris, buoyed by the election of several Fine Gael candidates, stressed that he not "afraid" of by-elections.

Arriving into the Midlands North West count centre on the final night of the marathon tally, Mr Harris said: “We’ll decide when to have the by-elections in due course. 

"I haven't had an opportunity to assess that yet and to talk to the other party leaders in our coalition about that.

“I certainly don't fear by-elections.”

There is mounting speculation that the Government will not hold by-elections and instead will go straight to a general election before Christmas after both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael held up well in last week's local and EU elections.

It is believed that some in the parties favour a generous budget in October followed by an election. 

Such a move would minimise the opportunity for Sinn Féin to bounce back from its disappointing showing in the local elections.

However, all three collation leaders have publicly insisted that the Government will serve its full term out to March of next year.

Speaking at the Dublin count centre earlier this week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin suggested that he enjoys by-elections as "you discover a county in an intimate way".

"Anyone who studies political science knows that by-elections can be very significant platforms for newer candidates to come onto the scene," Mr Martin added.

The final four European seats to be filled were in Midlands North West in the early hours of Friday morning, where Mr Cowen, Independent Ireland’s Ciaran Mullooly, and Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh and Nina Carberry got over the line.

Mr Harris said that the party has had “incredible results” in Midlands North West, but said that descriptions of Ms Carberry and Ms Walsh as celebrity candidates were “clearly nonsense”.

“We just won the election, didn’t we?

“Nina Carberry is not a celebrity, she’s a champion. She’s a champion so a little less pejorative language would be useful when you have people who are award-winning, people who run businesses, people who write books, joining an experienced MEP," Mr Harris said.

Mr Cowen was elected by reaching the quota on the 20th count, while the remaining three candidates got over the line with the elimination of Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew.

Earlier on Thursday, Independent MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan was returned on the 19th count, having garnered 118,754 votes throughout the five-day tally.

In Ireland South, Billy Kelleher and Seán Kelly retained their seats in the European Parliament, being joined by Mr McNamara, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, and Ms Funchion.

It came after outgoing MEPs Mick Wallace and Grace O'Sullivan lost their seats.

Speaking after the announcement of the results, Mr Wallace said it was too early to say if he will run in the upcoming general election.

Counting to elect four MEPs in Dublin concluded earlier in the week with Fianna Fáil's Barry Andrews returned to the parliament, along with Regina Doherty of Fine Gael, Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan, and Mr Ó Ríordáin.

Speaking at the Nemo Rangers count centre, Mary Lou McDonald said having two Sinn Féin members elected is a "great achievement" but admitted that overall the elections did not go as well as expected.

She said: "We now have two MEPS returning for Sinn Fein, that's a great achievement. It's an improvement on the position.

"Of course, we have 102 councillors elected, it's not the runaway success perhaps that some might have expected, but it represents progress. 

"So I'm very pleased with that generally, but I'm absolutely full of joy for Kathleen [Funchion], who has worked so hard that she has turned in this result and she will be, I know, an incredible advocate for Ireland."

Ms McDonald said the party will now "regroup" but she still wants a general election in the near future.

The MEP elections concluded six days of counts across the local, European, and Limerick Mayoral elections.

Fianna Fáil is now the largest party in local Government having secured 248 council seats out of the available 949.

In the local elections, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael attracted around 23% of first-preference votes, representing a slight drop on their 2019 result.

Sinn Féin now has 102 councillors while 186 seats are held by independents following the elections.

John Moran was named Limerick's mayor after topping the poll from pillar to post.