LABOUR TD Patrick Nulty took up his seat in the Dáil yesterday after winning the Dublin West byelection in Thursday’s election.
Mr Nulty received almost 25 per cent of first preference votes. and won on the fifth count .
The victory gives Labour 38 seats in the Dáil and made it the first Government party in almost 30 years to take a byelection.
Fianna Fail was delighted with the 21.7 per cent showing by its candidate Cllr David McGuinness who came second. However the loss means that Fianna Fail has no TD representing the capital as the seat was left vacant following the death of former Finance Minister Brian Lenihan in June
Socialist candidate Cllr Ruth Coppinger also received more than 21 per cent of first preference votes. However Fine Gael’s candidate Eithne Loftus finished in fourth place.
Other TDs in the Dublin West constituency are Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton (Labour), Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael) and Socialist party TD Joe Higgins.
