Sinn Féin Wins First Seanad Seat

As The Irish Examiner went to press, counting of the votes in the Seanad elections continued, with Fianna Fáil securing 43 of the vocational panel seats, Labour two, Fine Gael one and Sinn Féin picking up its first seat in the Seanad.

Pearse Doherty, from County Donegal, who failed to win a Dáil seat at the last general election, secured a seat on the agriculture panel after securing the highest number of first-preference votes.

Mr Doherty received 103 votes and was elected on the first count.

Labour's Alan Kelly finished in second after he also exceeded the quota.

Before the election, Labour and Sinn Féin had apparently agreed a voting pact that seems to have helped both candidates.

The party`s Dáil group leader Caoimhghin O Caolain welcomed the victory, saying,

"Pearse will play a hugely important role in the Sinn Fein parliamentary team, in delivering for local communities and in ensuring that the party rebuilds and goes from strength to strength."

"We will hold the government to account every day of the week," he continued.

"We will work closely with Sinn Fein Ministers in the north in the interests of everyone on the island.

"Ireland will face a lot of challenges and opportunities in the time ahead and Sinn Fein will play our part in bringing about progressive change for the country."