Verona Murphy the Fine Gael candidate takes media questions on the chin as she responds at a doorstep after the second count at the Wexford Count centre at St Joseph's Club Community Centre, Bishopswater, Wexford.Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

30/11/2019. Pictured at the By Election Count Centre, Wexford Town. Pictured is Verona Murphy Fine Gael By Election Candidate with Minister Charlie Flanagan Right and Cllr. Frank Staples (Left). Picture: Patrick Browne

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has been dealt a severe blow in four Dáil by-elections where Fine Gael has failed to pick up a single seat.

Fianna Fáil has taken seats in Cork North-Central and Wexford; the Green Party emerged victorious in Dublin Fingal; and Sinn Féin has secured a surprise seat in Dublin Mid-West.

Fine Gael failed to meet its own target of securing at least one seat after its best hope, councillor Emer Higgins, lost out in Dublin Mid-West. Another hopeful, the controversial Wexford candidate Verona Murphy has also lost out after a contentious campaign marred by her comments linking migrants with Isil.

The result is a setback for Mr Varadkar whose Fine Gael minority government is already perilously short of numbers in the Dáil ahead of a motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy next Tuesday.

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By contrast, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will be significantly boosted with the election of councillor Pádraig O’Sullivan in Cork North-Central and councillor Malcolm Byrne in Wexford. Mr O’Sullivan has retained the seat vacated by Fianna Fáil's Billy Kelleher, who was elected to the European Parliament in May.

Mr Byrne will replace Independent Mick Wallace who was also elected to European Parliament. The Wexford county councillor has seen off the challenge of Ms Murphy and comfortably topped the poll on the first count.

With transfers he finished on 18,830 votes, well ahead of Labour's George Lawlor on 14,476 after Verona Murphy was eliminated on the fourth count with 10,836 votes.

Ms Murphy did not request a recount despite being just 71 votes behind Mr Lawlor after count four.

Expand Close 30/11/2019. Pictured at the By Election Count Centre, Wexford Town. Pictured is Cllr. Malcolm Byrne FF (Right) congratulated by Cllr George Lawlor Labour. Picture: Patrick Browne / Facebook

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Whatsapp 30/11/2019. Pictured at the By Election Count Centre, Wexford Town. Pictured is Cllr. Malcolm Byrne FF (Right) congratulated by Cllr George Lawlor Labour. Picture: Patrick Browne

It’s also been a good day for Sinn Féin which caused a major upset in Dublin Mid-West where councillor Mark Ward beat Ms Higgins and took the seat vacated by former Fine Gael tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald. Mr Ward’s election is a boost for Mary Lou McDonald’s leadership after a series of electoral setbacks in recent months.

The Green Party will increase its number of TDs to three with the lection of councillor Joe O’Brien in Dublin Fingal where Labour’s best hope of a seat, councillor Duncan Smith, missed out.

Despite this, Labour leader Brendan Howlin will be pleased with the strong performance of Mr Smith as well as councillor George Lawlor in his own constituency Wexford.

Fianna Fail's Malcolm Byrne accused his Fine Gael opponent Verona Murphy of engaging in a “dog-whistle strategy”.

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Following a turbulent campaign that was overshadowed by Ms Murphy’s comments linking migrants with Isil, Mr Byrne took a pointed dig at his opponent in his victory speech.

“Racism and the language of hate and division has no place in Wexford politics,” he said. “Wexford is better than that and Ireland is better than that.”

He said there was an “obligation” on all political parties to speak out against hate speech and discrimination.

Ms Murphy says she plans to run for Fine Gael in the next election - as she refused to comment on the controversies that dogged her campaign.

"Of course this is learning curve and something we’ll build on. I mean I've raised the vote of Fine Gael in the county of Wexford. So we have another six months in which to prepare for a general election,” Ms Murphy said.

Stood beside her, Ms Murphy's director of elections, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, replied “yes” when asked if Ms Murphy is a suitable candidate for Fine Gael in the next general election.

"From Fine Gael's point of view it seems the Fine Gael vote has held, probably a marginal increase from the last general election and from my conversation with the Labour candidate, he has polled particularly strong here in town," Mr Flanagan said.

"It seems to me this will be decided by transfers. It was never going to be any other way and I would expect that the seat will be decided by the transfers of the Labour candidate George Lawlor."

The official turnout in Wexford was 35.1pc.

Sinn Fein's Mark Ward has been elected in Dublin Mid-West on the ninth count, beating Fine Gael favourite Emer Higgins.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said this demonstrates Sinn Féin was the "clear alternative" to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

Mr Ward won with 7,669 votes, 525 of Ms Higgins.

Elsewhere, Green Party by-election candidate Joe O’Brien took a trip to see Frozen 2 with his three children, as he stormed ahead in the Fingal by-election and stated: “My kids teach me everyday.”

Mr O'Brien topped the poll in the first count with 5744 votes and was elected in the eighth count.

Green Party Councillor for Dublin West, Roderic O’Gorman told Independent.ie: "Joe’s in the cinema, he has not spent enough time with his children in six weeks, so he decided to take them out today.

"He will be here later. I’m delighted with the early indications in the tallies so far but it’s early days.

"He’s worked very hard on this campaign and consistently. This is a really big deal for the Green Party as we’ve never won a by-election.

"If things go our way today, this will put us in great stead next time round when I’ll be running along with other candidates.

"People are increasingly concerned about environmental issues on the door. They’re concerned about bus services, traffic, public transport in general and infrastructure.

"A large number of houses have been built and that’s been very necessary but not enough infrastructure has been built around them.

"People are also talking about biodiversity and the global issues too. Our solutions are more investment in public transport and moves towards getting people out of their cars."

Councillor Padraig O'Sullivan easily held the Cork North Central seat vacated by former Minister and new Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher as Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin hailed it as "a very good day for the party."

Councillor O'Sullivan was elected on the tenth count having failed to reach the quota but with a comfortable 3,600 vote lead over his nearest challenger.

Councillor O'Sullivan, a secondary school teacher, retained the seat vacated by Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher on transfers by a relatively comfortable margin.

Speaking at the Nemo Rangers GAA complex, Mr Kelleher said it had been a very strong performance by Fianna Fáil across all four by-elections.

"I think it bodes very, very well for the party going into a general election next year," he said.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin warned that the party's strong performance across four by-elections will not change the trajectory for the next general election.

Mr Martin, speaking at the Cork North Central by-election count, said he still believed the natural time for winding down the current Dail was in late April.

His party are on course to win at least two of the four by-elections - with Fine Gael facing defeat in all four.

Mr Martin underlined the historic importance of Fianna Fail's performance by pointing out the party had only won one by-election out of 18 since 1996.

"This doesn't change the trajectory of when an election will happen," he told Independent.ie

"I am still looking at the springtime. I think Brexit (needs to be sorted). We are still at tally time here. There has been no result so let's not run ahead of ourselves, OK?"

"In Britain, we are not even there yet in terms of a British general election."

"At the moment, if Boris heads for victory, as it looks like, I think the deal that is on the table will come through on January 31."

"We will have honoured our commitments then in terms of putting the needs of the Irish people and the national interest first in terms of not having political instability around the Brexit issue."

"We are then in a situation or period where we can wind down the Dail."

"I think April 12 is a natural cut-off point for the parliamentary session."

"I think that is where we are heading - there is not much in it in terms of disagreeing over the weeks."

"There is St Patrick's Day where the Government will have work to do and I am mindful of that."

"I equally have to say that we took a lot of heat on the doorsteps in terms of the fact that there is an anger towards Fine Gael out there."

"Because of the housing and health issues - if I was to come away with any message from the electorate it would be that housing and health (are huge issues for voters). There is a real anger that there is no delivery on the ground. People are fed up of the announcements, the PR and the spin."

"They have seen through it."

Mr Martin said voters were appalled by a number of controversies involving Fine Gael ranging from the comments by Kate O'Connell TD about waiting lists in acute hospitals through to the imminent resignation of Cork North Central TD Dara Murphy to take up a job with the EU.

The Fianna Fáil leader said that Mr Murphy has not effectively been working as a Cork North Central TD for two years - and demanded that he make an immediate statement clarifying his work since 2017.

"The Government and Fine Gael are detached from ordinary people. People have been scathing on the doorsteps about what Fine Gael has been doing."

"There is no question that there is real anger out there."

"People are angry about housing and health. Housing, in particular, is hurting people. They are angry that young children have no prospect of buying a house, have no prospect of gettin a social house - that (anger) is very strong out there."

"There is strong disillusionment with politics and with the Government in particular."

"Fine Gael are very detached, it seems to me - the comment from Kate O'Connell TD (about health), people were saying to me on the doorsteps, where was this person for the last few years in terms of waiting lists and emergency departments?"

"There is a detachment and a disconnect between Fine Gael and people on the ground."

Mr Martin said he was particularly astonished at the timing of Dara Murphy's resignation statement - querying why it had not been flagged earlier so that a double by-election could be held in Cork North Central.

"Yes, I certainly think there are questions that need to be answered and issues clarified," he said.

Voter turnout was exceptionally low at an estimated 33pc.

That is almost 30pc below the turnout for the 2016 General Election.

Voter apathy in the Cork North Central by-election was underlined by the fact one ballot box was completely empty when opened.

With 85,000 people eligible to vote in the sprawling Cork constituency, turnout is estimated at only around 33pc - some 30pc below the level of the 2016 General Election.

It ranks as an historic low for a Cork by-election.

Count staff were astounded to find one ballot box completely empty when opened.

The ballot box for Spiorad Naomh had 21 eligible voters - but did not have a single ballot cast despite polls being opened from 7am to 10pm on Friday.

The area previously had been in Cork South Central but had been transferred to Cork North Central with other parts of Bishopstown.

"People know there is likely going to be a general election within six months so they are not getting that excited about the by-election," one veteran Labour official said.

Fianna Fáil are battling Sen Colm Burke of Fine Gael, who lost a by-election in Cork North Central in 1994, and Councillor Thomas Gould of Sinn Féin who delivered a strong performance in the 2016 General Election.

One senior Fianna Fáil source said their internal polls had been very encouraging - and fears over how their county-based candidate, a former independent, would gain traction in the sprawling urban parts of the constituency have proved groundless.

"We expected a strong challenge from Fine Gael and Sinn Féin but we are quietly confident that things will go our way," a party source said.

"This is also the first election since 2011 that we haven't experienced widespread voter anger on the doorsteps towards politicians."

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There have been warnings from some that voter apathy has been palpable throughout the by-election campaign.

"People know there is likely going to be a general election within six months so they are not getting that excited about the by-election," one veteran Labour official said.

Fianna Fáil are battling Sen Colm Burke of Fine Gael, who lost a by-election in Cork North Central in 1994, and Councillor Thomas Gould of Sinn Féin who delivered a strong performance in the 2016 General Election.

One senior Fianna Fáil source said their internal polls had been very encouraging - and fears over how their county-based candidate, a former independent, would gain traction in the sprawling urban parts of the constituency have proved groundless.

"We expected a strong challenge from Fine Gael and Sinn Féin but we are quietly confident that things will go our way," a party source said.

"This is also the first election since 2011 that we haven't experienced widespread voter anger on the doorsteps towards politicians."

Three years ago, Fianna Fáil polled 14,286 first preference votes in Cork North Central - a whopping 6,000 votes more than their nearest challenger (Mick Barry TD of AAA/PBP).

Sen Burke, who served in the European Parliament from 2007-2009, was strangely overlooked for the party ticket at the 2016 general election, first losing out at the party selection convention to now-retiring Dara Murphy TD and then seeing newcomer Julie O'Leary added to the ticket.

Ironically, Sen Burke lost out in the November 1994 by-election alongside Billy Kelleher whose election to Brussels triggered the current by-election.

The Cork North Central candidates are: Colm Burke Fine Gael, Pádraig O'Sullivan Fianna Fáil, Martin Condon Independent, James Coughlan Workers' Party, Thomas Gould Sinn Féin, Sinéad Halpin Social Democrats, Charlie Keddy Independent, Thomas Kiely Independent, John Maher Labour Party, Oliver Moran Green Party, Fiona Ryan Solidarity/People-Before-Profit and Finian Toomey Aontú.

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