Irish premier Simon Harris has said Fine Gael will gain seats in the General Election despite a further fragmentation of Irish politics. Fine Gael won 35 seats in the 2020 election, but 18 of those TDs did not seek re-election in Friday’s poll.

The outgoing Taoiseach admitted he was relieved when his party received 21% first-preference votes in the exit poll on Friday night

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris’s party was locked in a virtual dead heat with Sinn Fein in the general election, according to the official exit poll, suggesting his decision to go to the country early did not go as planned.

Fine Gael leader Simon Harris elected on first count in Co Wicklow. Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news LATEST | Louth General Election 2024 updates: Witing game as Sinn Féin’s Ruairí Ó Murchú and Joanna Byrne close in on seats Dublin Rathdown General Election 2024 updates: ‘Many people said we couldn’t do it’ – Neale Richmond elected on first count as Green Party’s Catherine Martin fights to keep seat Mayo General Election 2024 updates: Rose Conway-Walsh (SF),

Speaking to reporters in Wicklow, the Fine Gael leader said there has not “been a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it”. “I think that’s what we’ve seen, a very close and