Tánaiste Joan Burton has insisted Labour will outperform the polls in the upcoming general election.
Councillor Willie Quinn only managed to gain 7 per cent of the vote in the Carlow/Kilkenny byelection - three per cent less than the Renua candidate Patrick McKee.
Ms Burton said “when it comes to the general election, the actual vote will be different and discussion will be different to a single by-election.
“When the general election comes about, it will be about the future of the country and what people want to vote for.”
Speaking on RTE's The Week in Politics, Ms Burton said neither Government party won the seat secured by Fianna Fáil's Bobby Aylward.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said his leadership would never be decided by the result of this byelection.
He said byelections were different from general election and Fianna Fail would not be getting ahead of itself.
Mr Martin said: “We will be more transfer friendly than in previous elections.
“In the multi-party system we are in now, that will be important going into the next general election.”