GREEN PARTY LEADER Eamon Ryan has said he’s not calling for a full recount of the vote in the Dublin European constituency.
Ryan was back at the RDS this afternoon, after a night of drama that wrapped up shortly before 5am this morning.
He finished fourth in the three-seat constituency just 1,149 votes behind Fine Gael’s Brian Hayes after the seventh count with independent MEP Nessa Childers 193 votes ahead of Hayes in second place. Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan has already been elected.
Speaking a short time ago, Ryan said: “If there is a material difference then we certainly will look at it in detail.
“First things first we want to check the ballots, check the bundles… and see if there is any discrepancy there.”
He had said in the early hours that he was requesting a recount “just to make sure that there weren’t any mistakes and just to check there weren’t any bundles that [didn't go into the] right box”.
He said he was concerned that, given the all-night count, there may have been some errors.
Speaking today at the Dublin 4 venue this afternoon, however, Ryan said he wasn’t looking for a full recount but for a checking of ballot bundles for any obvious discrepancies.
That process is now under way, and could be finished in around three hours’ time. If discrepancies emerge then a full recount could take place meaning the count is likely to go on for some time.
Independent MEP Nessa Childers has also arrived at the RDS this afternoon for the first time having been absent last night when she appeared on course to take a seat.
Asked if she feared she would not be in contention for a seat and as a result did not show up last night, the former Labour and Green Party member said: “One always is always a bit nervous that one isn’t in contention. So that’s all I am going to say about that.”
“But I’m here now and I think I am in contention,” she added.
Childers said that “all across Europe, I would say that a rocket has been fired into the political system… and in Ireland that has certainly happened”.
Childers added: “I am just very delighted if I have secured that vote and if I win a seat, I’d like to think I can be an MEP for all the people.”
- additional reporting Daragh Brophy
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