Stephen Donnelly eliminated as Fine Gael takes second seat in Wicklow
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has lost his Dáil seat after being eliminated in Wicklow.
Taoiseach Simon Harris’s running mate Edward Timmins was deemed elected without reaching the quota, securing a second seat for Fine Gael.
Donnelly, ultimately, was unable to narrow a gap with Timmins who benefited from a huge surplus from Harris after topping the poll with more than 5,000 votes to spare.
The announcement was made following a marathon count at the Wicklow count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow, which concluded at 5.25am on Monday morning.
Earlier in the day Donnelly said a combination of a strong “Government vote” for Mr Harris and the loss of a seat from the four-seat constituency had dented his chances.
“We knew Simon would take a huge vote – a Government vote, if you like – in the constituency. It was strong actually, but when you’re sharing a constituency and a hometown with a taoiseach and moving from a five-seater to a four-seater – when you put those two things together, it obviously creates a lot of pressure,” he said.
“We all knew it would come down to the final seat, to transfers. We’ll see what happens in the coming hours.”
It is a remarkable reversal in electoral fortunes for Donnelly who surged to a poll-topping performance in Wicklow as a member of the Social Demcrats in 2016, gaining some 21 per cent of the vote
However, shortly after the election, he left the party after a series of disagreements with the co-leaders. At the time he favoured going into coalition government with the Fine Gael-led administration, but this was ruled out by other party figures.
He controversially joined Fianna Fail in 2017, which led to widespread criticism, though he defended the move at the time insisting that it was important not to remain on the margins.
The move, along with local party tensions, dented his vote in the 2020 election, though he ended up getting elected on the 15th and last count.
The election of Edwards Timmins, meanwhile, marks a return to national politics for a family steeped in Fine Gael tradition.
His father Godfrey was a long-standing councillor and TD for the party. He was succeeded by Edward’s brother Billy in 1997, who was later expelled from the party in 2013 after defying the party whip over abortion legislation.
Edward Timmins, a chartered accountant, has been a Fine Gael councillor for more than 20 years and has been working as a full-time public representative for the last four years.
Donnelly narrows gap but still faces uphill battle
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has narrowed the gap with Fine Gael’s Cllr Edwards Timmins but still faces an uphill battle to retain his seat.
In the 12th count of voting at 4am on Monday, there were 1,080 votes separating Donnelly and Timmins following the distribution of Sinn Féin’s John Brady’s surplus. The gap is down from about 1,300 in earlier counts.
Timmins remain ahead on 7,551 votes followed by Donnelly on 6,471 votes.
Independent candidate Shay Cullen has been eliminated and his 6,406 votes are being redistributed and will determine where the final seat goes.
Timmins is expected to benefit to a greater extent than Cullen, who until recently was a Fine Gael councillor, but left the party after failing to get selected to run in the general election.
What happens in a count centre at 4am?
Counting is continuing in Wicklow as three candidates battle it out for the final seat.
Meanwhile, all human life unfolds.
Party staff yawn and wipe the sleep from their eyes. Candidates share tender moments with their loved ones. Deputies shake hands with their volunteers and thank them for all they’ve done. Journalists grumble about whether they will have to work a full day in the morning.
SF’s John Brady takes third seat as Donnelly battles to hold on
Sinn Féin TD John Brady has been reelected in Wicklow while Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is still battling to hold onto the fourth and final seat.
As a marathon count continued at 3am on Monday morning, Brady was elected on the 11th count with the help of transfers from fellow Bray-based candidate, Independent Joe Behan.
Three of the constituency’s four seats are now filled.
Taoiseach Simon Harris topped the poll having been elected on the first count on Saturday night.
Jennifer Whitmore, the Social Democrats TD and childcare spokeswoman, took the constituency’s second seat at midnight on Sunday.
A tight race is unfolding for the fourth and final seat between Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly and the Taoiseach’s running mate, Fine Gael councillor Edward Timmins.
Timmins (7,482 votes) is 1,168 votes ahead of Donnelly (6,314 votes) and is favoured to take a second seat for Fine Gael. Independent candidate Shay Cullen (6,104) is also still in the race.
However, Donnelly has a slim chance and all will depend on where transfers from the remaining candidates go.
Brady’s 530-vote surplus is currently being calculated and, based on current trends, Cullen may be next to be eliminated.
Jennifer Whitmore retains Social Democrats seat in Wicklow
Jennifer Whitmore, the Social Democrats TD and childcare spokeswoman, has retained her seat in Wicklow.
The Delgany-based candidate, first elected in 2020, has secured Social Democrats’ 11th seat so far in the 2024 general election.
Whitmore was elected on the ninth count just before midnight on Sunday to exceed the quota, after securing a large number of transfers from the Green Party’s outgoing TD Steven Matthews.
He was eliminated in the previous count on what has been a miserable weekend for the junior coalition partners.
Fine Gael is increasingly confident about taking a second seat in Wicklow at the expense of Fianna Fáil Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
Fine Gael west Wicklow councillor Edward Timmins has kept a gap of more than 1,300 votes on Donnelly after the ninth count.
Donnelly’s loss would represent the biggest scalp in the election so far.
He said earlier on Sunday that a strong “Government vote” for Simon Harris had impacted on his own chances of re-election.
“… When you’re sharing a constituency and a hometown with a taoiseach and moving from a five-seater to a four-seater – when you put those two things together, it obviously creates a lot of pressure,” he said.
The Taoiseach topped the poll in the four-seat constituency, having been elected on the first count on Saturday night.
Bray-based Sinn Féin TD John Brady, on 10,491 votes, is closing in on the quota of 11,415 votes and is set to take the third seat in the constituency.
Fine Gael increasingly confident of taking second seat in Wicklow at Donnelly’s expense
Fine Gael is increasingly confident about taking a second seat in Wicklow at the expense of Fianna Fáil Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
The party’s west Wicklow councillor Edward Timmins has kept a gap of more than 1,300 votes on Donnelly after the eight count.
Local party campaigners say Timmins has a much clearer path to taking the final spot in the four-seat constituency on the back of transfers from the remaining candidates.
He is likely to do better from Shay Cullen, a former Fine Gael councillor based in Newtownmountkennedy, while Donnelly’s only hope is to gain more transfers from the Bray-based former Fianna Fáil TD and Independent candidate Joe Behan and outgoing Green Party TD Steven Mathews, who is based in Donnelly’s hometown of Greystones.
Taoiseach Simon Harris topped the poll in the four-seat constituency, having been elected on the first count on Saturday night.
Delgany-based Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore and Bray-based Sinn Féin TD John Brady are both set to retain their seats as they close in on the quota of 11,415 votes.
After count eight, the position of the candidates is as follows: Social Democrats’ Jennifer Whitmore (10,481); Sinn Féin’s John Brady (10,289); Fine Gael’s Edward Timmins (6,379); Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly (5,081); Independent Shay Cullen (4,775) and Independent Joe Behan (4,447).
Stephen Donnelly loses more ground in battle to retain seat
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has lost further ground in the race to retain his Dáil seat in Wicklow.
Fine Gael, meanwhile, looks in pole position to take the final seat, as the gap between the party’s west Wicklow candidate Cllr Edward Timmins and Donnelly has widened to almost 1,300 votes.
Taoiseach Simon Harris topped the poll in the four-seat constituency, having been elected on the first count on Saturday night.
After the sixth count on Sunday night, Delgany-based Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore (9,633 votes) and Bray-based Sinn Féin TD John Brady (9,523 votes) were both set to retain their seats as they closed in on the quota of 11,415 votes.
Timmins is in fourth place (on 6,160 votes) followed by Donnelly (4,865 votes), Independent candidate and former Fine Gael councillor Shay Cullen (3,850 votes) and Independent candidate and former Fianna Fáil TD Joe Behan (3,678) votes.
Outgoing TD Steven Matthews (2,810 votes) is set to be just the latest Green Party candidate to lose his seat.
The votes of Labour councillor Paul O’Brien are currently being counted.
‘It’s going to be tight’: Stephen Donnelly on his chance of taking the final seat in Wicklow
Minster for Health Stephen Donnelly has said his chances of holding onto the final seat in Wicklow are “tight”.
Donnelly is locked in a two-way race for the last seat in the four-seat constituency with Taoiseach Simon Harris’s Fine Gael running mate, Edward Timmins.
“It’s going to be tight, obviously,” he said. “It was always going to come down to the last seat in Wicklow. We’ll see how things go.”
He congratulated the Taoiseach on his re-election and said a strong “Government vote” for Mr Harris’s had impacted on his own chances of re-election.
“We knew Simon would take a huge vote – a Government vote, if you like – in the constituency. It was strong actually, but when you’re sharing a constituency and a hometown with a taoiseach and moving from a five-seater to a four-seater – when you put those two things together, it obviously creates a lot of pressure. We all knew it would come down to the final seat, to transfers. We’ll see what happens in the coming hours.”
Donnelly falls behind in race for final seat in Wicklow
Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has fallen behind Fine Gael councillor Edward Timmins in their battle for the final seat in Wicklow.
Taoiseach Simon Harris topped the poll in the four-seat constituency and was elected on the first count on Saturday night.
Bray-based Sinn Féin TD John Brady (8,601) and Delgany-based Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore (8,545) both look set to retain their seats.
Following the distribution of Simon Harris’s 5,000-plus surplus on Saturday afternoon, the bulk of votes went to Timmins, who overtook Donnelly and opened up a gap of just under 1,000 votes.
Timmins is now in fourth place (5,513 votes), followed by Donnelly (on 4,572) and former Fine Gael councillor Shay Cullen (on 3,420).
The votes of several eliminated candidates are now being redistributed.
Harris said on Saturday night he was “cautiously optimistic” that Timmins will get over the line, while local election observers also believe the gap between Donnelly and Timmins may be too big to bridge for the Fianna Fáil TD.
Donnelly in three-way battle for final seat
Counting has resumed in Wicklow where Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is battling to hold onto his seat.
A tight race is unfolding for the final spot in the four-seat constituency between Donnelly (3,553 votes), Independent candidate and former Fine Gael Cllr Shay Cullen (3,232) and Fine Gael’s Cllr Edward Timmins (3,050).
Bray-based Sinn Féin TD John Brady and Delgany-based Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore both look set to retain their seats.
A 5,000-plus surplus for Taoiseach Simon Harris - who was elected on the first count at 9.30pm on Saturday - is being counted this morning.
These transfers will play a key role in deciding where the final seat goes.
If party loyalty holds firm, Harris’s running mate Edward Timmins looks set to benefit most. Sample tallies indicate that as many as 40 per cent of his transfers will go to the west Wicklow based councillor.
Harris said on Saturday night he was “cautiously optimistic” that Timmins will get over the line.
However, tallies indicate that a smaller but significant proportion of Harris’s transfers - about 10 per cent - will go to Donnelly, who is also based in the Taoiseach’s hometown of Greystones.
Newtownmountkennedy-based Cllr Shay Cullen, meanwhile - formerly of Fine Gael - is expected to attract transfers from a range of candidates.
Party and regional loyalties will all have a role to play in determining where the final seat goes.
Most seasoned election observers, however, see Timmins as favourite to take a second seat for Fine Gael at the expense of Stephen Donnelly.
Counting to resume Sunday
Vote counting in Wicklow has been adjourned until Sunday morning, when Simon Harris’s 5,000-plus surplus will be distributed among the remaining candidates.
Mr Harris’s transfers look set to play a key role in deciding where the final seat goes and whether Fine Gael can take a second seat at the expense of Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly.
Mr Harris said he is “cautiously optimistic” that his running mate Edward Timmins will take the final spot in the four-seat constituency.
While a strong transfer rate to the Taoiseach’s Fine Gael running mate in west Wicklow is expected, tallies indicate significant numbers will also go to Donnelly who is based in the Taoiseach’s hometown of Greystones.
Newtownmountkennedy-based Shay Cullen, meanwhile, may also benefit. He decided to stand as an independent after missing out on a place on the Fine Gael ticket.
Bray-based Sinn Féin TD John Brady is in second place (8,450 votes), followed by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore (7,699). Both deputies look set to retain their seats.
Simon Harris elected
Taoiseach Simon Harris has been elected on the first count in Wicklow while Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is facing a battle to retain his seat.
Mr Harris topped the poll with 16,869 votes, exceeding the 11,415 quota by more than 5,000 votes. Bray-based Sinn Féin TD John Brady is in second place (8,450 votes), followed by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore (7,699). Both deputies look set to retain their seats.
A tight race is unfolding for the final spot in the four-seat constituency between Stephen Donnelly (3,553), Independent candidate and former Fine Gael councillor Shay Cullen (3,232) and Fine Gael’s Edward Timmins (3,050).
Mr Harris’s transfers look set to play a key role in deciding where the final seat goes.
While a strong transfer rate to the Taoiseach’s Fine Gael running mate in west Wicklow is expected, tallies indicate significant numbers will also go to Donnelly who is based in the Taoiseach’s hometown of Greystones.
Newtownmountkennedy-based Shay Cullen decided to stand as an independent after missing out on a place on the Fine Gael ticket.
Independent Bray-based candidate Cllr Joe Behan is further behind in the contest (2,909) followed by sitting Green Party TD Steven Matthews (2,366) who looks set to lose his seat.
Simon Harris optimistic
Taoiseach Simon Harris said he is “very confident” that Fine Gael will have a “very significant role” to play in government formation talks, writes Carl O’Brien.
Speaking at the count centre in his Wicklow constituency, he said that while it was difficult to say who will be the biggest party in the next Dáil, he was “cautiously optimistic and excited about the weeks ahead.”
He said the Fine Gael parliamentary party which he will lead in the new Dáil will be “massively different” with new TDs who will bring “new ideas and new perspective to Leinster House”.
Mr Harris said it was clear the party “will gain seats” and “top the poll in at least 10 constituencies” and add second seats across a number of constituencies.
“I think the people of Ireland have now spoken. We now have to work out exactly what they have said. That is going to take a little bit of time.” He said the electoral system meant the outcome of many final seats has yet to be decided.
“We need to be patient in relation to that. Of course, my party will act responsibly in the days ahead,” he said.
“I am really grateful to the Irish people for the mandate they have given me and my party.”
In his Wicklow constituency, Mr Harris said he was “cautiously optimistic” his party running mate Edwards Timmins will secure a second seat for the party. This would be at the expense of Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
In relation to Sinn Féin, he said there has been “so sign of a Sinn Féin surge” and claimed the party’s vote was likely to be down on the last election.
“The two larger parties are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So, definitely politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented,” he said.
In relation to the performance of Gerry Hutch in the election, Mr Harris said the “people are sovereign” but said he believed he “wasn’t nailed on yet”.
Taoiseach Simon Harris at the count centre
Taoiseach arrives at the count centre
Donnelly faces battle
Final tallies show Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly is facing a battle to retain his seat in Wicklow while Taoiseach Simon Harris is on course to top the poll.
Mr Harris is in first place (30 per cent), followed by Sinn Féin’s John Brady (15 per cent) and Social Democrats’ Jennifer Whitmore (14 per cent).
There is a tight race for the final spot in the four-seat constituency between Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly (6.3 per cent) and Fine Gael’s Edward Timmins (5.3 per cent).
Mr Harris’s transfers and others look set to be key in deciding where the final seat goes.
While traditionally there was a strong transfer rate between Fine Gael candidates, observers say large volumes of the Taoiseach’s second preferences are going to other candidates in his hometown of Greystones such as Mr Donnelly and the Social Democrats’ Jennifer Whitmore.
Independent Bray-based candidate Joe Behan is further behind (5.5 per cent), meanwhile, followed by Wicklow town-based independent Shay Cullen (4.3 per cent) and sitting Green Party TD Steven Matthews (4.2 per cent), who looks set to lose his seat.
Jennifer Whitmore looks set to be reelected with a larger personal vote in Wicklow and is set to take third seat in the four-seat Wicklow constituency, according to tallies.
The Social Democrats want to go into government if the party can secure commitments on key policy areas, Whitmore, the party’s childcare spokesperson, said.
The party, which hopes to secure at least 10 seats – up from six in the last election – may have a crucial role to play in government formation talks.
“We have been really clear from the get-go: we want to go into government, but we’re not going to go in just to make up the numbers,” Ms Whitmore said.
“If we go in, it is to make real change and achieve real change.”
The party has “five non-negotiables” which it would bring into any government formation talks.
They include 50,000 affordable homes; a public childcare system; the roll-out of Sláintecare; a minister for disabilities; delivering on climate change commitments.
“We want to make sure we can deliver,” she said.
