Andrew Carey at the Limerick Count Centre
andrew@limerickpost.ie
MICHAEL Noonan and Jan O’Sullivan have been returned to the Dail as the final two elected TDs in the Limerick City constituency as Fine Gael’s Kieran O’Donnell loses out in a close fought race.
Afterwards, the Fine Gael candidate who was pipped at the post for the last seat said that it was a privilege to serve the people of Limerick.
Both outgoing Ministers Noonan and O’Sullivan were elected following the distribution of the surplus of votes from Sinn Fein’s Maurice Quinlivan who took the second seat.
Bucking the national trend where Labour suffered at the hands of voters, the outgoing Minister for Education said that she was both proud of her team and supporters who helped return her to the Dail for a sixth term.
Afterwards Deputy O’Sullivan said that she was not sure what will happen in the formation of the next Government but the next few days would see all parties regroup.
The returned Labour TD also said that she was disappointed by the campaign ran by the AAA which she said was specifically designed to smear the Labour Party.
Furthermore she said that in the future her party needs to be “more robust” to these types of attacks.
Speaking afterwards, Michael Noonan said that he commiserated with his party colleague Kieran O’Donnell on losing out, but congratulated Jan O’Sullivan on her election.
On the reverse of his poll-topping return in 2011, Mr Noonan said that the swing vote from the last election went back to Fianna Fail and thus effected his party’s standing.
The final count from Limerick City (4 seats) quota 9,353
Willie O’Dea (FF) 12,999 ELECTED
Maurice Quinlivan (SF) 10,517 ELECTED
Michael Noonan (FG) 9,311 ELECTED
Jan O’Sullivan (Lab) 8,187 ELECTED
Kieran O’Donnell (FG) Eliminated on last count)
Eliminated on earlier counts – Cian Prendiville (AAA); Sarah Jane Hennelly (SD); James Gaffney (Greens); Nora Bennis (CD); Des Hayes (Non P) and Denis Riordan (Non P)
