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A doorstep with Tánaiste Mícheál Martin. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/XfJmIgndQi
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) November 30, 2024
MICHEÁL MARTIN HAS first party leader elected across country as he boosts his share of the vote in Cork South Central.
Martin, was raised on the shoulders of his sons in the count centre as his Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork this evening.
Two constituencies are being counted at the sports complex on the southside of the city, and the Fianna Fáil leader is expected to top the poll in Cork South Central when first results are announced later tonight.
Martin achieved 11,023 first preferences votes in 2020 but he has beaten that now with 14,526 to top the poll.
Speaking after his election Martin hailed his followers and described the last 24 hours as a “bit of a roller coaster”.
“It is a huge responsibility, people in Cork South Central have given a huge vote and I will always be grateful to them for enabling me to have the honour of respenting them in Dáil Eireann.
“That’s my first job as a representative of Cork South Central, to advance the interests of Cork more generally,” he added.
Last night’s exit poll put Fianna Fáil at the bottom of a three-way race to be the largest party in the 34th Dáil, on 19% – behind SF on 21.1% and FG on 21%. But Martin rubbished that – he was visibly surprised as his vote was read by the returning officer.
Martin said that based on how things have been playing out his party was in with a shout of coming out on top once the last ballot has been counted.
Martin said they were competing in every constituency in the country, insisting his party had run the “most impactful” campaign.
“It’s early days yet but we look like we will exceed the exit poll somewhat.
“Again it’s very early days but we do see a route to a very strong finish in this election.”
Martin said it could be Monday before final seats in many constituencies are decided.
The situation in Cork North Central and Cork South Central is that Martin is likely to be returned tonight but not the rest.
The returning officer Martin Harvey is likely to suspend the count around 10pm and it will continue in the morning.
The Tánaiste Micheál Martin was accompanied on his visit to the count centre by his family.
Speaking to reporters he said there is a “clear route back to Government” for Fianna Fáil.
“A lot will depend on those final seats that I’ve spoken about.
“All we have at the moment are tallies of first counts, which in the majority of cases will be reasonably accurate but then you have to work out geography and work out eliminations. You’ll have to work out the distribution of surpluses.
“It will be many, many counts later before we really are in a position to look at the destination of the final two seats in five seaters, or the final two seats in some four seaters.
“It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed, but I think there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me,” he said.
Martin added some caution to that and said that in past experiences he has seen seats that were expected to fall to his party leave them in the later counts.
“I genuinely would have to caution where those final seats go.
“It can’t be determined – I recall 2020 and I remember late on the evening of the count day, we looked to be in a very good position for closing the deal on eight seats on that occasion, and we didn’t close any of them by the following day.
“So you will understand my weariness about really final predictions as to the final destination of seats,” he added.
Martin added that he would not be drawn on if his party would engage with Independents to form a government.
In response to a question on the apparent meltdown of the Green Party vote, the Tánaiste gave some analysis that the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath was having an impact on the election.
“I think the Green Party made a very positive contribution to Government.
“I think some good, constructive, positive policies emerged from the last Government.
“I think the last government had to weather very significant external shocks from COVID 19. And I think the long shadow of COVID is over this election too,” he added.
The Tánaiste added that it is his belief that the cost of living crisis has its root in the pandemic.
“I’ll always remember Angela Merkel saying at the commencement of Covid, she equated it to a world war in terms of its long term impacts on politics, society and so on.
“That probably hasn’t been analysed to the degree that it should, but if you look at the cost of living crisis, it has its genesis within Covid,” he added.
Micheál Martin is a member of nemo Rangers GAA club and he was accompanied by his son Micheál Aodh who plays for Nemo and also for the Cork County hurling team.
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