What Soc Dems By-Election win means for Dáil speaking time

Daniel Ennis of the Soc Dems was elected in Dublin central on Saturday.

Daniel Ennis comfortably claimed the free Dáil seat in Dublin Central following Friday's by-election, coming in ahead of Sinn Féin and the Green Party.

His election brings the number of party TDs to 12, edging over Labour and gaining them longer speaking time in Dáil sittings due to the metric larger the party, the more time they get.

The party will now speak ahead of Labour, just trailing behind Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and Independent Ireland.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Social Democrats TD for the Wicklow area, Jennifer Whitmore, dubbed result a sign of the party 'really building momentum'.

This was echoed in a statement from leader Holly Cairns as she celebrated the 'stunning' win for Daniel Ennis and vowed that in the next election, a candidate from her party will run in every constituency.

“When I first stepped into the role of leader of the Social Democrats, I said I was unashamedly ambitious for the future of this party. Since then, as we have gone from election to election, the party has gone strength to strength. I am determined to continue to build on the huge momentum we are seeing in the Social Democrats and run a candidate in every constituency in the next general election.”

Over in Galway West, Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas is currently leading Fine Gael's Seán Kyne by 2,109 votes.

Both candidates are still well short of the 23,947 vote quota, with Noel Thomas on 13,897 and Seán Kyne up to 11,788.

Count eight is has just been announced in the Salthill count centre with a lot still to play for.

More to follow