The independent candidate Seamus Healy has been elected in the Tipperary South by-election. In the third and final count, he received 2,813 transfers to bring his total to 13,982. Tom Hayes of Fine Gael received 2,731 transfers, bringing his total to 13,449. Mr Healy did not make the quota, but was deemed elected because he had ended up with more votes than Mr Hayes. A difference of just over 500 votes separated the candidates in the end.
The results indicated a huge drop in support for Fianna Fáil whose candidate, Barry O'Brien, has been eliminated following the second count. He polled 6,959 votes in the first count, down almost 15 per cent on the party's last general election result. The Taoiseach has said it was obvious that, what he called, recent events had a significant impact on the outcome of the by-election in Tipperary South.
Mr Ahern described the result as disappointing for Fianna Fail but said it was always going to be an uphill struggle to reverse the consistent pattern of governments doing very poorly in by-elections. Congratulating Independent Seamus Healy on his victory, the Taoiseach said that as the Government moved into the next two years of its term it would redouble its efforts to deliver real change for communities in South Tipperary and around the country.
It has also been a bad day for Labour who have lost the seat held by the late Michael Ferris. His widow, Ellen, was eliminated after polling 5,133 votes in the first count. Mary Heaney and Richard McInerney were also eliminated after the first count.
