Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan received a much-needed boost from the result of the Tipperary South by-election yesterday. The win by his party's candidate, Senator Tom Hayes, surpassed even the most optimistic predictions, immediately easing pressure on Mr Noonan as he faces into the Dail's summer recess.
The result was a disappointment for Fianna Fail. The party fared better than at last year's by-election, but Mr Michael Maguire still became the second Fianna Fail candidate to be eliminated in a by-election.
The result, following on the rejection of the Nice Treaty last month, is likely to ensure the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will not rush to call a general election.
The by-election, caused by the death of Ms Theresa Ahearn (Fine Gael) last year, was also a big setback for the Labour Party, whose prospects of regaining a seat in the general election are now very slim. The result will be worrying for the leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn.
Labour's candidate, Mr Denis Landy, was backed by 80 per cent of voters in his home area of Carrick-on-Suir but failed to make an impact elsewhere.
The performance of Ms Phil Prendergast of the Workers' and Unemployed Action Group, who came second with 24 per cent of the first-preference vote, copper-fastens the WUAG's position as the dominant left-wing force in the constituency.
She said the result was "a victory" for the WUAG, which will probably run two candidates in the next general election. Her colleague, Mr Seamus Healy, won last year's by-election.
Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan acknowledged that Mr Hayes's resounding victory was a boost for him as party leader, but he stressed by-elections did not make or break leaders. "If you look at Bertie Ahern's record, he's lost six by-elections in a row now . . . so if the future of leaders was to hang on the results of by-elections, Bertie would be long since gone."
Mr Hayes (49), a farmer from Golden, received 35 per cent of the first-preference vote, 8 per cent more than he received in last year's by-election in the same constituency.