Fine Gael's Mr Michael Noonan has resigned as leader after his party's disastrous election results while Fianna Fáil looks set to take an overall majority back to the Dáil for the first time since 1977.
Fine Gael is likely to lose in excess of 20 seats in its worst election performance to date. In an interview with RTÉ television, Mr Noonan accepted responsibility for the loss and said his position was "not tenable".
He said: "I took over the party when there was an expectation of very serious seat losses. A lot of people pledged their faith in me to reverse the decline. I didn't reverse the decline."
Key figures such as Mr Alan Dukes; Mr Jim Mitchell; Mr Alan Shatter; Mr Brian Hayes and former presidential candidate Mr Austin Currie all lost their seats. Last night, deputy party leader, Ms Nora Owen, lost her seat in Dublin North which voted for first time electronically.
Meanwhile Fianna Fáil are edging closer to taking the 84 seats required for a majority after a performance blemished only by the loss of former Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs Mary O'Rourke's seat in Westmeath.
The Progressive Democrats surpassed all expectations with leader, Ms Mary Harney, predicting the party would become fourth biggest in the State with six or possibly seven seats.
The Labour Party did not make the gains it expected and its leader Mr Ruairí Quinn had a tight battle to retain his own seat in Dublin South East. However, the Party is likely to increase its number of deputies in the Dáil.
Sinn Féin polled extremely well as predicted with the Party likely to take between four and five seats. Mr Sean Crowe became the Party's first Dublin representative since Countess Markiewicz.
In Kerry North, Sinn Féin's, Mr Martin Ferris, topped the poll mainly at the expense of former Labour leader Mr Dick Spring who lost his seat for first time since 1979.
The Green Party have gained four seats and may yet have a fifth in their best electoral performance to date. Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent and Mr John Gormley both retained their seats and will be joined by Mr Eamon Ryan in Dublin South, Mr Paul Nicholas Gogarty in Dublin Mid West and Mr Ciaran Cuffe in Dun Laoghaire.
Independent candidates have pulled off surprise wins in Mayo, Wexford and Clare. Independents are likely to take ten of the 166 seats available in the next Dáil.
