The leader of Sinn Féin has said that this election confirms that her party has “altered the political landscape”.
“Not so long ago, the old traditional establishment parties monopolised not just government but also opposition, that’s changed now, and I think this election is confirmation of that,” Mary Lou McDonald said.
Ms McDonald, who was re-elected in Dublin Central on the third count after topping the poll there, said she will always want to do better, to have more votes, and to win more seats.
She said that her first course of action will be to talk to other parties who are also advocating for change in government and to get their ideas on how they will “maximise impact”.
“The idea of five more years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is not in my strong opinion, a good outcome for our society,” she said.
Despite Ms McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, the pathway to government for Sinn Féin still appears challenging.
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“It was ironic on election day that we saw again record heartbreaking homeless figures again, as people were going out to vote. I don’t think our society can actually endure another five years of that failure and that chaos.”
Ms McDonald also thanked everyone who voted for her party.
“You have given us again a powerful and a strong mandate, and we understand the trust that you have placed in us to make life better for you and we are determined to do just that,” she said.
She said that their candidates had an “incredible performance” across the State over a short number of weeks.
“We have achieved a result that many people who few weeks ago would have thought impossible. So, thank you to every single person who voted for us.”
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With counting of votes still in the relatively early stages, there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise.
Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Féin surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains.
In last night’s exit poll, Sinn Féin was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil at 21% and 19.5% respectively.
Prior to the election, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Féin.
