The Government suffered a blow after failing to win any seats in four byelections yesterday, while Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party celebrated their victories.
Byelections were held in four constituencies to fill vacancies left by TDs elected to the European Parliament.
- Dublin Mid-West: 'Good day for working-class' as SF's Mark Ward takes Dáil seat
- Cork North Central: FF's Pádraig O'Sullivan 'honoured' to represent Cork North Central
- Wexford: Byrne hits out at racism in politics after win in Wexford
- Dublin Fingal: 'There's momentum behind us': O'Brien celebrates first Green byelection win
Sinn Féin's Mark Ward was elected to the Dáil on the ninth count in the Dublin Mid West byelection.
He beat Fine Gael councillor Emer Higgins by just 500 votes, in the end, to secure a place in the four-seater constituency.
In a tweet, the Clondalkin councillor said that the first count in Dublin Mid West was a "spectacular answer to Fine Gael".
"Spectacular answer to Fine Gael that the families and workers of Dublin Mid West are tired at the failed policies of Fine Gael and that Sinn Féin are the only party that have real solutions."
In Cork North-Central, Fianna Fáil's Pádraig O'Sullivan claimed his seat on the tenth count.
Mr O'Sullivan had been the early front runner, claiming 27.6% of the first preference votes and he never relinquished that lead.
He fills the seat vacated by party colleague Billy Kelleher earlier this year.
Kelleher had been a TD in Cork North-Central for more than two decades before his election to the European Parliament.
Mr O'Sullivan said that he was "immensely honoured" to have been elected as a member of Dáil Éireann.
Immensely honoured to have just been elected as a @fiannafailparty member of Dáil Éireann for the constituency of #CorkNorthCentral #AnIrelandForAll pic.twitter.com/a0kP2tKu88
— Pádraig O'Sullivan TD (@padraigosull) November 30, 2019
Fianna Fáil's Malcolm Byrne topped the polls and was elected in the Wexford byelection.
The candidate, who out in a strong performance in May's European Parliament elections, won the seat vacated by Mick Wallace who has taken up a seat in Brussels.
He said that he was "deeply honoured" to have been elected and that he will "put forward ideas and solutions to the challenges we face as a county and as a country".
"I am deeply honoured to have been elected by the people of #Wexford as your TD.
"I will serve to the best of my ability to put forward ideas and solutions to the challenges we face as a county and as a country."
I am deeply honoured to have been elected by the people of #Wexford as your TD. I will serve to the best of my ability to put forward ideas and solutions to the challenges we face as a county and as a country.
— Malcolm Byrne 🇮🇪 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@malcolmbyrne) November 30, 2019
The Green Party is celebrating its first-ever byelection victory in Dublin Fingal after Joe O'Brien secured the seat vacated by Clare Daly after the eighth count.
Mr O'Brien, a Skerries-based councillor, fended off the challenge of Fianna Fáil's Lorraine Clifford-Lee who finished in second place and Labour's Duncan Smith who finished in third position.
Leo Varadkar now faces a general election for the Dáil next spring while grappling with the ongoing impact of Brexit on the economy.
Meanwhile, a vote of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is due to be held next week.
