There are still a handful of seats to be filled in the next Dáil with three recounts set to get under way on Monday.
One will get under way in Dublin South-West at 9am at the request of Fine Gael as it fights to take the last of the five seats. Sinn Féin’s Johnny Mythen sought a recount in Wexford and Independent Averil Power sought a recount in Dublin Bay North.
A full recount began in Dublin South-Central on Sunday with Bríd Smith of AAA-PBP 35 votes ahead of Fianna Fáil’s Catherine Ardagh. A number of disputed votes are to be considered by the returning officer on Monday morning.
In the recheck, Ms Smith lost four votes to bring her lead down to 31.
A number of other votes were disputed by Cllr Ardagh and consideration of those continued Sunday night. Final adjudication will be made on Monday morning.
In Dublin South-West, Independent candidate Katherine Zappone was declared elected on Sunday on the 16th count after a late surge ahead of Fine Gael’s Anne Marie Dermody.
Ms Zappone had taken the bulk of 4,916 transfers available after the elimination of independent candidate Peter Fitzpatrick in count 15.
She polled 9,655 votes, which was 152 votes clear of Ms Dermody’s 9,503.
Immediate request
Fine Gael immediately requested a recount, which got under way at 10.30am on Sunday. An examination of the 15th and 16th counts found discrepancies in about 50 ballot papers, which Fine Gael argued undermined the integrity of the entire count.
The recount also saw the gap between the two candidates narrow to about 120 votes.
Ms Dermody said there had been “inaccuracies” and that it would be “unfair” not to conduct a recount. “We have uncovered errors,” she said. “If there are votes coming back to me after two counts why wouldn’t I look for a full recount? I’d be a fool not to.”
Ms Zappone said she was “frustrated” by the delay caused by the recount. “The recounts that have already happened, they have identified that the result is broadly in line with the count as already declared,” she said.
Delay ‘frustrating’
“Of course the delay is frustrating, especially for the team of volunteers, but I do remain upbeat and confident that what was declared will stand. But if this is what has to happen from the perspective of Anne Marie Dermody and her team, I respect that.”
There will also be a recount in Wexford after Sinn Féin’s Johnny Mythen fell just 52 votes short of election. It is due to get under way at 10am.
Independent TD Mick Wallace took the first seat at about 5am on Sunday morning, and it had been expected that Fine Gael candidates Paul Kehoe and Michael D’arcy would take the fourth and fifth seats.
In Dublin Bay North, Ms Power said she sought the recount after it emerged she was just 67 votes behind fellow Independent Tommy Broughan in the last count and 93 behind John Lyons of AAA-PBP.
She said that 74,000 people had gone out to vote and it was important to get it right and it was the last constituency to declare a first count because of the number of disputed votes.
The recount is to begin on Monday at 11am.
Counting will also continue in Longford-Westmeath.
