Burton, Rabbitte and Varadkar first to be re-elected
Labour's Deputy Leader Joan Burton, party colleague Pat Rabbitte and Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar are the first TDs elected to the 31st Dáil.
Joan Burton was elected on the first count in Dublin West, with Pat Rabbitte elected on the first count in Dublin South West and Leo Varadkar on the second count in Dublin West.
With just four of the 166 seats filled (including the seat automatically retained by out-going Ceann Comhairle Seamus Kirk) - bookies are this afternoon already paying out on a Fine Gael / Labour coalition - with the two parties now set to form the largest Government in the country's history.
Fianna Fáil is facing virtual wipeout and has a battle now with Sinn Féin as to who will lead the Opposition from next month.
Joan Burton was the first of what is expected to be a "Gilmore gale" of up to 40 Labour TD's to be elected. It will be the party's best ever performance, especially in Dublin.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael is set for its best result in at least a generation and end the day with seats in the mid 70s.
In Enda Kenny's home constituency of Mayo, the party looks set to score four of the five seats with two thirds of the vote.
In Dublin, Brian Lenihan may be the party's only TD and there could be as few a dozen more elected around the country.
Independents are having a good day, which opens up the possibility of Sinn Féin and left wing independents coming together to be the largest Opposition grouping in the Dáil.
