Fianna Fail Leads Tight Three-Way Race in Irish General Election
The majority of seats in Ireland’s parliamentary election have been filled, with Fianna Fáil (FF) maintaining a lead in a closely contested three-way race.
As of now, 162 out of 174 seats have been filled, with the results still being tallied to determine the overall winner.
Fianna Fáil, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, is in the lead with 43 seats. Fine Gael (FG), led by Prime Minister Simon Harris, and Sinn Féin (SF), headed by Mary Lou McDonald, are locked in a tight contest, both securing 36 seats.
The Social Democrats have 11 seats, while Labour holds 9 following Friday’s snap elections, which saw a voter turnout of 59.7%.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly lost his seat in Wicklow during the early hours of Monday, as reported by the Irish Times.
The remaining seats are expected to be filled later on Monday.
Predictions indicate a potential coalition between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with both center-right parties possibly requiring a small group of independent lawmakers to form a majority, as 88 seats are needed for a majority. Both parties have ruled out Sinn Féin as a coalition partner.
The election followed the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil on November 8, as requested by Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris.
Key campaign issues included the cost of living, housing shortages, and immigration and asylum management.
