Malcolm Byrne has topped the poll in Wexford to become the second Fianna Fáil candidate to secure a win in this weekend’s by-elections.
Mr Byrne received a total of 18,830 votes after the fifth count.
Labour’s George Lawlor came in second with 14,476 votes.
Verona Murphy of Fine Gael was pipped into third place by Mr Lawlor after the fourth count with just 71 votes separating the two.
After the initial count, Mr Byrne had received 31.2% of first preference votes, with Ms Murphy in second with 23.8%, followed by Mr Lawlor with 20%.
Turnout in the constituency was the highest of all four by-elections held nationwide, with 36.2% of voters casting their ballot.
Mr Byrne will now take over the seat left vacant after Mick Wallace‘s election as an MEP in May’s elections.
He had also contested for the seat in the South constituency in the European elections but eliminated on the 16th count.
Fianna Fáil's Padraig O'Sullivan won the party's first seat after topping the poll in Cork North-Central this evening.
Verona Murphy says she intends to run in the General Election for Fine Gael. On her comments on asylum seekers she says "I've apologised and that's the end of that." #BE19 #byelections2019
— Andrew Lowth (@AndrewLowth1) November 30, 2019
Meanwhile, Ms Murphy said following her defeat that she would be running in the next General Election for Fine Gael.
She said: “This is a learning curve and something we’ll build on.
“I’ve raised the vote of Fine Gael in the county of Wexford so we have another six months to prepare for a General Election.
She also refused to answer questions on her recent comments around asylum seekers.
Earlier, the Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said he believed that other candidates in the by-election campaign seemed to get a 'free pass' regarding controversial remarks.
Mr Flanagan said Ms Murphy had apologised for remarks she made about asylum seekers but others did not.
He also name-checked former journalist Gemma O'Doherty who unsuccessfully contested for a seat in the Dublin Fingal constituency.
Mr Flanagan said she was not held to account in the same way Ms Murphy was.
He said: “She was the focus of much national criticism, she apologised.
“There were other candidates, and one in particular Gemma O'Doherty who did not apologise and who seemed to get something of a free pass perhaps from former colleagues in the media.”
