Irish election: Enda Kenny admits coalition will not return

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• published: 28 Feb 2016
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Taoiseach (prime minister) Enda Kenny has admitted his coalition government has failed to secure a return to office as the Irish election count continues. Results so far suggest Mr Kenny's Fine Gael party will remain the largest in parliament, but will have only a narrow lead over its main rival, Fianna Fáil. The junior coalition party, Labour, appears to have suffered badly. Sinn Féin, smaller parties and independents all appear to have done well. Counting will not conclude until Monday at the earliest, according to Irish state broadcaster RTÉ because a recount in Wexford requested by Sinn Féin will not begin until the morning. Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has been elected on the sixth count in Louth. It is likely Fine Gael will remain the largest party, but with a narrow lead over the main opposition, Fianna Fáil. There is growing pressure on the two parties to provide a government. Before the election, both of them indicated that they would not go into coalition with each other. Counting of ballots is continuing for a second day on Sunday. With 100 seats filled, Fine Gael has 28 seats; Labour four; Fianna Fáil 30; Sinn Féin 14; Anti-Austerity-Alliance-People Before Profit four; the Social Democrats three; the Green Party one; the Independent Alliance four and 12 seats have gone to Independents. Mr Kenny - who has been re-elected in Mayo - said it was clear the existing government would not regain power. He refused to discuss possible options for the next government. However, he added: "As taoiseach I have a duty and responsibility to see how best we might be able to put together a government," he said. "I'd like to think that it could be possible, given the final results, to be able to put a government together that could work through the many challenges we have." Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin described the election as an "extraordinary vote" and said he was "very pleased". He said it would take time before it was clear what shape a new government would take. "A lot will depend on the destination of the last seats in many constituencies. It's a bit too early to be definitive, but it's clear we're going to have a good day," he said. Joan Burton said she was "very, very disappointed" that many Labour Party candidates would not be elected to parliament. "All I can say is that the Labour Party is at the fight for justice and social justice in Ireland and we will continue that fight in the next Dáil, even if our numbers are diminished." Among the other notable candidates elected so far are Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary-Lou McDonald and Fine Gael ministers Frances Fitzgerald, Charlie Flanagan and Leo Varadkar. However, Fine Gael's former Justice Minister Alan Shatter lost his seat, as has Alex White, the Labour Party's communications minister. Children's Minister James Reilly looks likely to lose his too. Sinn Féin, another big winner, indicated it would not go into government. The party's deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald, who was re-elected in Dublin Central, told RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme her party would not be "enablers" of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil "running rampant across an unequal society". She said going into government with either Fine Gael or Fianna Fail or both, was a matter for Sinn Féin's ard fheis (ruling executive). More than three million people were entitled to vote in Friday's poll, which will return 157 members of parliament, known as TDs. The ceann comhairle (speaker) is automatically returned. The campaign was fought mainly over economic issues, with the government parties asking voters for their support to keep the recovery going at a time when international storm clouds were gathering. But the opposition parties countered that not everyone, especially outside middle-class Dublin, had been benefiting from the up-turn. The Republic of Ireland has had the fastest growing economy in the eurozone for the last two years. TDs are being elected according to the single transferable vote (STV) system, in which candidates have to reach a quota, before their surplus votes are distributed to others.