Catastrophic news for the coalition.
Polls released by both The Irish Times and RTÉ are in agreement that the future is bleak for last term’s Fine Gael/Labour coalition.
While the exit polls are far from final, they suggest that Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have made tremendous ground, and independents have again acquitted themselves well.
According to some experts, the only viable option for Ireland’s next government is for old enemies Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to coalesce – and even that might fall apart if party members resign from their parties rather than join up with their historic rivals in power-sharing.
If Michael Marsh's projection is true, even FG-FF coalition wouldn't hold. At least a dozen of the 83 would resign from their parties. #ge16
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 27, 2016
According to the RTÉ exit polls, Labour would see their seats fall from 33 to 9. Fine Gael would lose 20 of their 46 seats. Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin on the other hand are set to double their seats in Dáil Éireann if these polls reflect the final outcome of the count which will take place today and likely drag on into tomorrow.
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