Fianna Fail welcomed two new members to their Parliamentary Group on Tuesday after four by-elections were held to fill seats vacated by members of parliament who were elected to the European Parliament in May.
In Cork North Central, Councillor Padraig O'Sullivan won the seat vacated by former Minister and newly elected MEP for Ireland South Billy Kelleher, and in Wexford, Malcolm Byrne successfully won election to the Dáil after seeing off the challenge of Fine Gael and Labour.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin hailed it as "a very good day for the party” but warned that his party's strong performance in the four by-elections will not impact on the "trajectory" for the next General Election which will likely take place next April or May 2020, after Brexit has been resolved.
He highlighted the lack of success of Fine Gael, noting that votes across the four Dublin, Cork and Wexford by-elections “underlined the Government's detachment from the public and key doorstep issues such as housing and health”.
Fianna Fail now have 45 of the 158 seats in the Dáil Éireann.
https://twitter.com/padraigosull/status/1200851694286000130?s=20
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