Counting is continuing in the Seanad elections, with a number of new senators having been elected so far today.
The general election count is underway at Dublin Castle, with access restrictions and social distancing measures in place due to the current coronavirus crisis.
At the NUI count at the RDS, Independent Rónán Mullen became the first candidate to be elected - winning re-election on the first count.
Honoured to be elected on the first count to represent #nui in Seanad Éireann. Conscious that these are tough times for everybody. Glad to have something to celebrate and wishing health and safety to us all. Here are the results of the first count #se2020 #seanad2020 @rtenews pic.twitter.com/iZmOmhC0lQ
— Senator Rónán Mullen (@RonanMullen) April 1, 2020
Michael McDowell also looked set for re-election with less than a 1,000 votes to reach the quota, while Alice Mary Higgins was in third place on the first count with former Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger in fourth.
Elsewhere, Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan and Labour's Pippa Hackett and Annie Hoey were the final three candidates elected to the Agricultural Panel.
Mrs Boylan is a former MEP, while Mrs Hackett was elected to the Seanad in a by-election late last year.
Honoured to be elected to the Seanad. I hope that I can contribute to the climate emergency debate when we get past this pandemic. Commiserations to my running mate @GerryMurraySF who would have made a great Senator & huge thanks to the count staff @OireachtasNews #Seanad2020
— Lynn Boylan 🍷📖🐾 (@LNBDublin) April 1, 2020
Mrs Hoey is a former USI President who was also involved in the Together for Yes campaign and Michael D Higgins re-election campaign.
Fine Gael's Jerry Buttimer has been elected on the first count for the Labour panel
Earlier, Fianna Fáil's Eugene Murphy joined Fine Gael's Paddy Burke, Tim Lombard and Michael D'Arcy on the Agricultural Panel.
Mr D'Arcy is the outgoing minister of state for financial services and insurance, and had lost his seat as a TD in last month's general election.
Mr Murphy is also a former TD, having lost his seat in Roscommon-Galway after serving one term in the Dáil.
Paddy Burke and Tim Lombard, meanwhile, are both existing senators who have now won re-election.
On the transfer of the first parcel of Byrne’s votes - the value credited to Lombard, Burke and Murphy is greater than the quota and they are Deemed To Be Elected. #seeforyourself #Seanad2020 pic.twitter.com/70WqCbSiXD
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) April 1, 2020
Victor Boyhan, Fianna Fáil's Denis O'Donovan, Niall Blaney and Paul Daly were all elected to the same Panel yesterday.
Counting is also underway in the Trinity College election, where nobody was elected on the first count.
Yesterday's count saw also all five senators elected to the Cultural and Educational Panel: Sean Kyne (FG), Malcolm Byrne (FF), Lisa Chambers (FF), John McGahon (FG) and Fintan Warfield (Sinn Féin).
The final 11 members of the next Seanad will be nominated by the Taoiseach of the next government.
