Fine Gael's Director of Elections says he doesn't think there's "a chance in hell" that the party will win an overall majority in the upcoming election.
Brian Hayes says that a number of factors including the reduced number of TDs in the next Dail will work against his party.
A minimum of 40% popular support would be needed, he believes, to return a majority - a poll published just before the election put Fine Gael at 32%, with Labour at 9%.
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He says that even holding on to all the seats they currently have would be a huge ask and that the current coalition partners want to return to government together:
