MARTIN Ferris has overtaken Brendan Griffin in the race for the remaining seats in the Kerry constituency after the ninth count.

After the distribution of Michael ‘Pixie’ O’Gorman and Brian Finucane’s votes, the Ardfert man received 1,139 votes. This put him ahead of Griffin who only received 173 votes.

Ferris now has 11,722 with Griffin on 11,396, some way behind the quota of 13,203. Brassil is next on 9,495 ahead of Deenihan on 7,630, a difference of 1,865 between them.

Norma Moriarty of Fianna Fail has now been eliminated and her 5,392 votes are being distributed. This is likely to see Fine Gael’s Brendan Griffin (for geographical reasons) and John Brassil (party reasons) benefit more than Ferris or Deenihan so it doesn’t look good at all for the Fine Gael man. (see result below)

Ninth Count result (distribution of Michael ‘Pixie’ O’Gorman and Brian Finucane’s votes in brackets)

John Brassil (FF) – 9,495 (253)

Jimmy Deenihan (FG) – 7,630 (304)

Martin Ferris (SF) – 11,722 (1,139)

Brendan Griffin (FG) – 11,396 (173)

Norma Moriarty (FF) – 5,392 (140)

Arthur Spring (Lab) – 5,877 (276)

AFTER the sixth count in the Kerry Constituency, it looks at this stage like Fine Gael’s Brendan Griffin, Sinn Féin’s Martin Ferris are certain to be elected with Fianna Fáil’s John Brassil taking the last seat at Jimmy Deenihan’s expense.

Brendan Griffin is on 10,872 with Martin Ferris next on 10,418 followed by Brassil on 9,005. Jimmy Deenihan is on 7,168, with a gap of 1,837 to make up.

There’s still a way to go but Deenihan looks to have lost too much ground and it would take something special for him to close the gap to the Ballyheigue man.

Donal Corcoran of Renua has now been eliminated and his votes are being distributed.

Sixth Count result (distribution of Grace O’Donnell’s vote in brackets)

John Brassil (FF) – 9,005 (48)

Donal Corcoran (Renua) – 9oo (14)

Jimmy Deenihan (FG) – 7,168 (224)

Martin Ferris (SF) –  10,418 (54)

Brian Finucane (AAA/PBP) – 1,169 (8)

Michael Fitzgerald (Green) – 1,135 (12)

Brendan Griffin (FG) –  10,872 (211)

Norma Moriarty (FF) – 5,114 (33)

Michael O’Gorman (Ind) – 1,536 (7)

Arthur Spring (Lab) – 5,281 (188)

WELL it took some time, but Michael Healy Rae was eventually elected with the biggest first preference vote in the country on 20,378 votes on the first count on Saturday night in the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre in an historic night for Kerry politics.

It was initially expected that the first count would come in at around 7.30pm but at about 9.50pm it was announced that a full recheck of first preference was to take place so the count was delayed until 11.20pm.

When returning officer Padraig Burke eventually announced the result of the first count, Micheal Healy Rae was elected with an incredible total of 20,378 with a huge surplus which should see his brother Danny on 9,991 elected on the second count in the morning.

Sinn Fein’s Martin Ferris is expected to be elected tomorrow after getting 9,458 and Brendan Griffin, as it stands, is in a good position to retain his seat with 9,674. However, his party colleague, Junior Minister Jimmy Deenihan on 6,489 will face an uphill battle against Fianna Fail’s John Brassil who has 8,156.

Arthur Spring is sure now to lose his seat having just managed 4,813 while Norma Moriarty managed a good vote of 4,348.

The counting has ended for the night and will resume at 9am tomorrow morning.

The full first count result is;

Total Electorate: 112,751

Valid Poll: 79,273

Total Poll:  79,749

Quota: 13,213 – Invalid votes; 476

John Brassil (FF) – 8,156

Donal Corcoran (Renua) – 716

Jimmy Deenihan (FG) – 6,489

Martin Ferris (SF) – 9,458

Brian Finucane (AAA/PBP) – 981

Michael Fitzgerald (Green) – 1,011

Mary Fitzgibbon (Ind) – 635

Henry Gaynor (Ind) – 147

Brendan Griffin (FG) – 9,674

Danny Healy Rae (Ind) – 9,991

Michael Healy Rae (Ind) – 20,378

Norma Moriarty (FF) – 4,348

Kevin Murphy (Ind) – 464

Grace O’Donnell (FG) – 776

Michael O’Gorman (Ind) – 1,236

Arthur Spring (Lab) – 4,813

THE Healy Rae brothers are looking good to take two seats in the upcoming general election according to tallies with 69% of the boxes opened.

With 146 boxes opened at the count centre in Killarney, Michael Healy Rae is at 13,544 with his brother Danny at 7,133 and Michael is doing really well according to tallies from the Tralee boxes.

Next is Sinn Fein’s Martin Ferris at 6,954, Fianna Fail’s John Brassil at 5,999, Jimmy Deenihan is at 5,256, Brendan Griffin (FG) is at 5,104 and Labour’s Arthur Spring is at 3,596.

Norma Moriarty of Fianna Fail is at 2,499, Tralee’s Fine Gael candidate, Grace O’Donnell is at 603, Ballybunion’s Michael ‘Pixie’ O’Gorman is at 1,030 and Donal Corcoran of Renua is at 578 and Brian Finucane (AAA/PBP) is at 712.

Other candidates are Mary Fitzgibbon (466), Michael Fitzgerald of the Green Party (581), Henry Gaynor (125) and Kevin Murphy (344).

From the Tralee boxes Michael Healy Rae is doing incredibly well, with Martin Ferris also holding his own but Arthur Spring is not polling as well as he needed to.

More updates later…

In the lead to Election 2016, we spoke to St Vincent de Paul’s Junior Locke, about the issues facing people struggling with poverty in Tralee…

St Vincent de Paul, Tralee Area President, Junior Locke,  feels access to TDs, along with bin charges and rent allowance, are major issues for people facing poverty in town.

“The big one would be rent allowance,” said Junior Locke.”The amount that is allocated to people and getting rent allowance accommodation itself. Getting a place that will accept rent allowance is extremely hard now,” he said.

“That’s an issue which is mirrored all over the country. I know in the main cities they’re having an awful time altogether but we’re finding it tough as well too in Tralee. We met a girl who was renting a place over by Manor before Christmas that cost her €600 a month and within three weeks it went up to €700 a month,” he said.

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“That shows there is no control or regulation for rent. Landlords can decide when they want to increase the rent by and there’s nothing that can be done about it,” he added.

Bin charges recently have become a hot-topic in town and St Vincent de Paul have been hearing back from the public about the issue.

“A lot of people are coming to us over it. It’s that extra bit that is being being added all the time. Every single time there is an extra €3 or €4 being taken out of peoples wages,” said Junior.

“Two years ago they would have been paying €7.50 for their bins now that has doubled. Because even if you put your bin every two weeks you’re still going to be charged that €3 a week standing charge.”

Junior also said access to some public representatives has been a difficult in this Dáil term.

“I would call on our TD’s and Councillors as well to support more initiatives. There was a couple of TDs over the last five years who were easy to access, but then there was a few that were not. I would like it if our TDs were more accessible to us,” he said.

A NEW poll, just released, shows the possibility of Michael Healy Rae being joined by his brother Danny in the next Dáil is a very real one.

The results of the Ipsos-MRBI poll – conducted last Thursday and Friday just after Danny Healy Rae declared he was running –  for the television station TG4 were revealed earlier tonight.

Fine Gael will be happy with the poll, but the results suggest Sinn Fein’s Martin Ferris and Labour’s Arthur Spring are at risk of losing their seats.

It shows Michael Healy Rae on 33% and his brother Danny on just 4%. However, with many of Michael’s second preferences expected to go to his brother, it could put him in a great position to get a seat.

Fine Gael TDs Jimmy Deenihan and Brendan Griffin are each on 13pc putting both of them in a good position.

John Brassil of Fianna Fail is on 11% with running mate Norma Moriarty on 6%. Labour’s Arthur Spring is on 8%, just ahead of Sinn Fein’s Martin Ferris on 7%.

With over week to go, there’s a lot of work to do for candidates before the real poll on February 26.

DANNY Healy Rae has declared himself as a candidate in the next general election.

In a move which will shock the political world, the brother of Michael Healy Rae, who is strongly tipped to top to poll in Kerry, will bid to get two seats for the Healy Rae clan.

The independent councillor in the South Kerry Municipal District lodged his election papers before the noon deadline today at the Courts Services offices in the Centrepoint building in Tralee.

He is the 16th candidate to declare.

IF the election went by the votes cast by those present at a Tralee Chamber Alliance event this morning, Arthur Spring wouldn’t have much to worry about in two weeks time.

Many of Kerry’s candidates in the forthcoming General Election gave their views on a number of local and national issues at a special event in the Manor West Hotel on Thursday morning.

Organised by Tralee Chamber Alliance and supported by AIB, the breakfast event allowed business people in town to put a series of questions to the candidates and to give their own votes by secret ballot as to who they want to be elected in Kerry in two weeks time.

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MC John Drummey went around to the tables where candidates were asked about the primary issues of jobs in town, vacant premises, the reduction of the 23% VAT rate, funding for tourism, broadband, support for local entrepreneurs and much more.

In a lighter moment, each candidate present was asked if they had to vote for another candidate in Kerry, outside of themselves or their own party, who would they give their No.1 to.

Fianna Fail’s John Brassil, after much hesitation, said he’d probably vote for “my cousin”, Labour TD Arthur Spring. His party colleague Norma Moriarty said the same.

Michael Fitzgerald of the Green Party plumped for Donal Corcoran of Renua who duly returned the favour. Fine Gael’s Brendan Griffin and Jimmy Deenihan opted for their coalition partner Arthur Spring, who in turn said he’d opt for one of the Fine Gael candidates.

This was picked up on by Michael Healy Rae who said: “Well if there’s one thing we’ve learnt this morning, it’s that Arthur Spring is going to head the poll!”

The south Kerry man said he’d give the vote to Sinn Féin’s Martin Ferris.

At the end of the meeting the results of the secret ballot were given and saw local man Arthur Spring in first, Minister Deenihan in second, John Brassil on third, Michael Healy Rae in fourth, while fifth was Brendan Griffin.

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