Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with a combined 86 seats, are just short of the 88 required for a majority.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin also said it was unlikely that a new government would be formed before Christmas.

With only two of the Dáils 174 seats left to be decided, Fianna Fáil is the clear winner of Friday’s general election and is set to emerge with the most TDs on 48.

Fianna Fáil is on course to be Ireland’s largest party after the general election

Cian O’Callaghan said he is ‘delighted’ with his party’s performance.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael looked well placed to return to power but Sinn Fein insists it could be part of a new government of the left.

Simon Harris was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota

Micheál Martin was comfortably elected on the first count after topping the poll in the Cork South Central constituency,

Outgoing coalition partners Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, however, claim they are well placed to return to power following Ireland’s General Election

‘No matter what the results today there will be a strong Green Party in Ireland,’ Eamon Ryan told reporters

The party, founded in 2015, look like they could be possible kingmakers in the next government.

The voting slips need to be counted several times, an undertaking which can last days

The protracted process of counting votes in the general election will begin as an exit poll put the three main parties virtually tied.

Voting in the general election continued into Friday evening after a quick campaign that focused on the country’s most pressing issues.

Turnout is expected to play a vital role in this year’s general election – even the furry kind.

Simon Harris said he was hopeful – both for the outcome of the election and the future of the country.

Data from October shows that international protection applications were around half in October compared to May, but only 25 per cent lower than in June

Ireland goes to the polls on Friday.

The public will go to the polls on Friday and decide the political landscape for the next few years

Mary Lou McDonald said the Taoiseach’s remarks were a ‘mark of desperation’.

The General Election will be held on Friday.

Harris has argued Ireland and other EU countries need to prepare for the possibility of trade shocks as he criticised the scale of Sinn Féin’s spending pledges as well as their saving plans.

The Green leader said it was ‘looking likely’ Fine Gael and Fianna Fail would be returned to government but would need support to make up a majority.

The Sinn Féin president said the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail leaders were now ‘indistinguishable’

The leaders of Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil debated on RTÉ television

The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign.

Pearse Doherty had accused Paschal Donohoe of ‘chickening out’ of a Virgin Media TV debate.

Mr Trump said he would sign an executive order imposing the new tariffs on his first day of administration.

The two men are due to take part in a different debate on Wednesday.

Support for Independent candidates has jumped in recent times.

The Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader said that the decision was policy based.

Immigration has emerged as a key issue in the general election campaign ahead of polling day on Friday

‘I called Charlotte this morning because she was absolutely owed an apology from me,’ he said

The woman told the Taoiseach that carers felt ignored and that the Government had done ‘nothing’ for them.

The UK Government is obliged to call a referendum in Northern Ireland if there is evidence of a shift in opinion in favour of Irish unity.

The Fine Gael leader also said that house prices would reduce when home building reaches 50,000-60,000 a year

This is your election, the Sinn Fein president told a group of students at Dublin City University.

Simon Harris was speaking after Mary Lou McDonald would not rule out attending an IRA member’s funeral as taoiseach.

There is little over a week left until polling day.

The Fine Gael leader said: ‘We need to call that out.’

Tanaiste Simon Harris and Tanaiste Micheal Martin both condemned the proposal to examine the broadcaster’s objectivity.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Simon Harris of refusing to take part in a ‘proposed’ debate.

The Taoiseach bumped into Tánaiste Micheál Martin on the campaign trail in Co Kerry.