Former Fine Gael minister Mr Michael Lowry has again topped the poll in Tipperary North when the first count was declared just before 5 p.m. He was deemed elected with a small surplus.
With 10,400 first preference votes Mr Lowry was elected on the first count and is expected to be joined in the Díil by Ms Marie Hoctor from Fianna Fáil with 8,949 first preference votes and Mr Michael Smith, the current Minister for Defence with 8,526.
Mr Lowry has been embroiled in controversy since his resignation from the then Rainbow Government cabinet in 1996, after it emerged that Mr Ben Dunne had paid for the renovation of his Tipperary home.
Tipperary North was once a reliable seat for Fine Gael. However this time around, according to local activists, that considerable damage was done by Mr Michael Noonan, when, during a local radio interview, he ruled out the possibility of Mr Lowry returning to the fold as long as he was leader.