Former Fianna Fáil minister Anne Rabbitte loses out on Seanad seat

Fianna Fáil has suffered another loss in the Seanad elections after former minister of State Anne Rabbitte failed in her bid to secure a seat in the Upper House.

In a close fight for the last seat, two votes separated Sligo-Leitrim Labour Cllr Nessa Cosgrove from Ms Rabbitte who also lost out in the Dáil general election in Galway East. Ms Cosgrove retains the seat held by Marie Sherlock who was elected to the Dáil.

But in a surprise outcome the party’s former Cork South-West TD from 2016 to 2020, Margaret Murphy O’Mahony, secured a seat.

However, the party is down from four seats to three on this panel, one of three seats the party has now lost on each of the three vocational panels so far counted.

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Fine Gael is leading in the Seanad count, retaining its three seats on the Labour panel with 10 seats overall.

Sinn Féin gained a seat at Fianna Fáil’s expense on the 11-seat panel winning two places.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald with newly elected senator Maria McCormack at the count centre in Leinster House, Dublin. Photograph: David Young/PA Wire

The party’s former Dublin Bay South TD Chris Andrews was elected along with Laois candidate Maria McCormack, a pharmaceutical technician and community worker who stood in the Dáil general election against former party member and veteran TD Brian Stanley.

The Social Democrats won their first ever seat in the Seanad on the panel, with Kilkenny-based Belfast-born Patricia Stephenson.

The party won the seat previously held by the Green Party’s Pauline O’Reilly. The Greens entered just one candidate in the Seanad elections because of their low Oireachtas and local authority numbers. This just 24 votes in the Seanad electorate of 1,172 – TDs, Senators and councillors.

Their candidate former minister of state Malcolm Noonan, won a seat, topping the poll and exceeding the quota on the Agricultural panel.

Outgoing Fianna Fáil Senators Robbie Gallagher and Pat Casey were also returned while former senators Ned O’Sullivan and Shane Cassells retired from the Seanad.

Fine Gael veteran Senator Joe O’Reilly was returned and is joined by newcomers Cllr Mark Duffy from Ballina, Co Mayo and Listowel, Co Kerry Cllr Mike Kennelly. Outgoing Mayo senator Paddy Burke retired while former senators Jerry Buttimer and John Cummins were elected to the Dáil.

On the Labour panel overall Fianna Fáil has three seats, down from the four the party held last time.

Fine Gael has retained its three seats while Sinn Féin has doubled its seats to two. Labour holds its seat, the Social Democrats have one and Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell has been re-elected.

Aontú have also won their first ever Seanad seat with the election of Sarah O’Reilly, the party’s Cavan-Monaghan candidate in the Dáil election.

A total of 26 of the 43 vocational panel Senators have been elected. Fine Gael currently have 10 Senators, Fianna Fáil have six, Sinn Féin’s tally is four, there are three Independent Senators, the Green Party has one as have Aontú and Labour.

The six seats in the National University of Ireland (NUI) and University of Dublin (TCD) constituencies, have also been filled.

The Cultural and Educational Panel was the first vocational panel completed with the election of five Senators: