Counting’s continuing in the Presidential election to confirm Michael D Higgins as the winner.
The third count – the distribution of the votes of David Norris – is continuing in 43 constituencies around the country.
The third count’s progressing well across the country this morning and now more than half of the 43 constituencies have distributed David Norris votes.
But even his 116,000 votes won’t get us to a conclusion when this count is declared in the next hour or so.
And it will need the elimination of Fine Gael’s Gay Mitchell and a fourth count to confirm the result.
Then Michael D Higgins will officially be President elect, ahead of his inauguration on November 11th.
Later today counting of the two constitutional referendums takes place.
The one on cutting judges pay is expected to pass with a pretty overwhelming majority.
But the 30th Amendment to the Constitution that would give Oireachtas Committees powers of investigation will be much closer, with most observers saying it’ll probably either be narrowly won, or narrowly lost.
