The results of the election mean Ireland has partly bucked the global trend of incumbents being rejected by disgruntled voters after years of pandemic measures, international instability and cost-of-living pressures.
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00:00Ireland's two main centre-right parties look set to form the country's next government
00:06as the final results from the general election trickle in.
00:10But both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil took a reduced vote share and face complex coalition
00:15negotiations to put the new administration together.
00:18Public broadcaster RTE reports 153 seats in the 174-seat lower house of parliament have
00:25been called.
00:26Fianna Fáil have taken 40 with Fine Gael winning 33.
00:30Well I think there is a very clear route back to government although it's not fully determined
00:36because a lot will depend on those final seats that I've spoken about.
00:40But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role
00:44to play in the years ahead and I'm cautiously optimistic and excited about what the weeks
00:49ahead hold.
00:50In second place is the left of centre Sinn Féin with 34 seats but it may struggle to
00:55find partners willing to form a coalition with it.
00:59Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have previously said they wouldn't work with the party citing
01:03its leftist policies and historic links with the IRA.
01:07I understand that that vote was for change, for a change in government and I and we will
01:15do everything that we can once the voting is finished and the seats are filled to pursue
01:20that goal.
01:21The cost of living and Ireland's housing crisis were dominant topics in the three-week election
01:26campaign.
01:27Immigration was also a key issue in the country of 5.4 million people.
01:32The results of the election mean Ireland has partly bucked the global trend of incumbents
01:37being rejected by disgruntled voters.