Counting started at 9am in the presidential election

"People just want the chance to pick the President. And that's my message to TDs and Senators in this eleventh hour, let the people pick the president," Peadar Tóibín said.

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent Electoral Commission, has welcomed a 29 per cent reduction in the level of spoilt votes seen in the local and European elections

Ireland’s electoral commission revealed that 108,488 ballot papers were spoiled at the last local and European elections.