Despite having spent the last four years in Government, the Green Party is potentially facing a total wipeout in the current election.

The selection by Fine Gael of Senator John McGahon in Louth has also dogged the Taoiseach’s campaign. Mr McGahon was found not guilty of assaulting a man outside a Dundalk nightclub in a criminal case two years ago, but a civil action earlier this year found him liable and he was ordered to pay damages.

Stakes were high for the main political parties of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin going into this election, with polls showing them neck and neck.