The incoming Fine Gael line-up changes the “shape and colour of Irish politics”, Ivan Yates has said.
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Former Fine Gael TD and broadcaster Ivan Yates told Newstalk that approximately 60 new TDs shows an “intergenerational change”.
“Clearly Fine Gael, with the number of retirees, is transformed from your Leos and Simons, like Pascal is kind of last man standing,” Mr Yates said.
“So, that is an intergenerational change.
“You're going to see a whole raft of new TDs - Fine Gael will be unrecognisable.
“You can see in relation to Sinn Fein, they will have new personnel and so on.
“It really is a change - we're going to have 60 new TDs… the shape and the colour of Irish politics is going to change.”
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Mr Yates said the “timing just isn’t suitable” for Micheál Martin to run for President but he thinks the outgoing Tánaiste will not contest a fifth election as Fianna Fáil leader.
“The first time he really appointed a deputy leader was Jack Chambers and there are the signs that Cork has done very well for Fianna Fáil, that you're coming into the Chambers era, maybe Darragh [O’Brien], but I think you're going to see a resurgence of Fianna Fáil in Dublin,” he said.
The Journal.ie editor Sinead O’Carroll agreed with Mr Yates’ comments that Micheál Martin is the leader people want.
She said that she believes the split campaign for Fine Gael has helped Fianna Fáil gain seats.
“[Fine Gael] were trying to talk about new energy and new faces and a refresh but then also trying to tell people you want stability in a world that's gone mad,” she said.
“It was kind of a tale of two campaigns.
“There was kind of a request for stability and I think that's where Micheál Martin, even though we are going to get a host of new Fianna Fáil TDs, people kind of enjoyed and liked Micheál Martin's brand.
“The only message [we] really we heard from him over the debates is, ‘I led the country through Covid, and didn't I do an okay job?’”
Newstalk reporters will be at count centres around Ireland bringing you all the results as they come in.
We will also be running election specials throughout the day, and you can follow all the action on our live blog and on our social channels.
Ivan Yates in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk
