Fianna Fáil Health Minister Stephen Donnelly currently sits in seventh position for the four-seater, with independents Shay Cullen and Gerry O’Neill in fifth and sixth.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil seem poised to return to power with an exit poll last night indicating that support for the Coalition has held firm. The exit poll – conducted by RTÉ, TG4, The Irish Times and Trinity College Dublin – released last night showed that Sinn Féin are on 21.

Michaél Martin of Fianna Fail and the Fine Gael leader Simon Harris both said they will not accept Sinn Fein as a potential partner because of fundamental policy differences. Martin said his party's position on the issue is based on differences around ...