Newly elected Sorca Clarke (SF) says the issues of housing, transport and the cost of living amongst others needs to be addressed.

Longford-Westmeath: Count 12. Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Ind) has edged closer to that coveted second seat position after he received 625 votes of the eliminated Gerry Warnock’s (Ind) votes. Fianna Fáil’s Robert Troy remains in third position on 9,438 votes.

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Longford-Westmeath: Count 11 at 22.00. Following the distribution of Laura O’Neill’s (Aontú) transferable votes, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Ind) remains in second, with 179 votes now separating him from Robert Troy (FF) in third position.

Longford - Westmeath: Count 10 at 20.30. Following the distribution of Labour’s Fidelma Bennett’s votes, Robert Troy (FF) has narrowed the gap to Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Ind) to just two votes. Sorca Clarke (SF) is in third place, 48 votes ahead of Fine Gael’s Micheál Carrigy.

Longford-Westmeath: Count 9. Following the distribution of Louise Heavin’s (Ind) votes Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Ind) has moved into second position ahead of Robert Troy (FF). The Boxer now has 8,812 votes to his name after receiving 298 votes from Heavin’s 1250.

Count 8: Matters are tightening between second placed Robert Troy (FF) and third placed Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Ind) following the distribution of Longford candidate Dave Smyth’s (PBPS) votes. Only 69 votes now separate Troy and the ‘Boxer’.

Count 6: The eliminated Tanya Cannon’s (FG) transferable votes are now distributed. We still remain a good distance away from any candidate reaching the quota. Micheál Carrigy is now on 7,597, extending his lead over fifth placed Sorca Clarke (SF) to 514 votes.

Longford-Westmeath: Count 4. Following the distribution of the eliminated Carol Okeke's (GP) votes, again no candidate has reached the quota, but Fianna Fáil’s Dympna Cunniffe has been eliminated. Troy (FF): 8,371; Boxer (Ind): 8138; Carrigy (FG) : 7,238; Clarke (SF): 7,059.

While no candidate has reached the quota of 10,315 votes on this count, FF’s Robert Troy received 200 votes bringing him up to 8,316 votes. The next biggest recipients of Burke’s surplus were FG's Micheál Carrigy and Tanya Cannon who received 107 & 101 votes respectively.

After Count 2 & the distribution of Peter Burke’s 500 surplus votes in the Longford - Westmeath constituency, the returning officer has announced the elimination of Independent candidates Paul Bradley, Charlotte Keenan & Donal Jackson & the distribution of their votes.

Counters in Athlone for the Longford-Westmeath constituency preparing to distribute re-elected Peter Burke’s surplus votes.

Minister Burke further added that how turnout is calculated is another thing that we need to look at because on a number of these registers there are a number of people that can only vote in local elections and it needs to be seen are they included.

Speaking on the low turnout in urban areas such as Longford and Athlone, Minister Burke remarked that that in the last number of decades voter turnout has reduced and that that is something that we really have to work on.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke says that he is humbled by the support that he has received so far from the people of Longford and Westmeath and he will do everything he can to vindicate their trust in him.

Micheál Carrigy polling strongly in North Longford in places, like Aughnacliffe and Granard. Carrigy appears to be taking votes from Joe Flaherty here.

Micheál Carrigy and Joe Flaherty doing well in Cloonagh (near Dring), Co. Longford.

I’m reporting on the counting of the votes in TUS, Athlone which has been ongoing for the last hour. 177 boxes, including one postal box in total for the Longford-Westmeath constituency. Boxer Moran doing very well in Athlone.

Sincere thanks to all who participated in my feature in today's @IrishTimes on how businesses in the Cooley peninsula, Co. Louth have fared since the floods in October.

A large crowd gathered in the Celbridge GAA hall last night, heard that political pressure at Cabinet level is needed to spur on the State to purchase a privately owned 235 acre parcel of land, bordering the M4, on the estate.

“It’s really stressful when you come up the road and you have no parking spaces”. Swords residents speak to me in today's @IrishTimes about the effect lack of parking at Dublin Airport is having on parking in their estate.