Griptmedia

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins says he is "very happy" with his party's showing in #LE24, and says he would "absolutely" talk to likeminded anti-establishment individuals about teaming up ahead of the general election to avoid future splintering of the vote.

Views from Dublin's Grand Canal where extensive fencing erected in efforts to prevent asylum seeker encampments forming has left the famous beauty spot looking somewhat like a prison.

Applause in RDS as first count result shows Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty in lead in Dublin EU constituency, though neither candidate reached the quota. The count will resume tomorrow.

Dublin inner city council electee Malachy Steenson has vowed to "build the nationalist movement" going forward.

Gavin Pepper who was just elected in Finglas/Ballymun says Sinn Féin "sold out the working class to get a middle class vote".

Simon Harris says he 'absolutely expects' voters will want him to work on issues related to immigration in wake of positive election results

Mary Lou McDonald has said that while immigration was "an issue" for voters, housing was "the issue" in the local and European elections.

Dublin area EU election candidate Niall Boylan says he is confident of being elected while remembering some of the highs and lows of his campaign.

Green Party leader and cabinet Minister Eamon Ryan tells Gript Media that the Green Party vote is holding up, with a majority of Green Councillors in Dublin set to hold their seats and the possibility of some gains nationwide.

Gript's Dr. MATT TREACY, who has been tallying elections for far longer than he might like to admit, gives his very early impressions of the early trends in the Dublin Count Centre

Boxes being emptied as the count begins at RDS, Dublin

A day before the local and European elections, voters say they expect independents to make waves as establishment parties have not "confronted issues" in a open manner.

"Ideology is being driven into our schools": European election candidate Eddie Punch says he has "huge concern" about a proposed Leaving Cert module that would teach students to engage in climate activism, adding that this is being driven by "a small, unrepresentative cabal".

An NGO event in Cork City Hall this month heard that Gardaí should be "ashamed" of killing George Nkencho, and that his death was due to racism. Ben Scallan presses Justice Minister Helen McEntee on the fact that her Department funds the NGO behind the event.

Newtownmountkennedy grandmother says she no longer trusts Gardaí after clashes last month in which she says her daughter and son-in-law were "badly pepper sprayed".

A Fine Gael election policy document released last week claims that under the party's leadership, Garda numbers are "up 2,000 since 2019." However, the actual net figure appears to be nowhere near this at 26. Ben Scallan asks party Deputy Leader Heather Humphreys about this.

Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin says that her party will be pushing for Europe-wide hate speech laws if they are elected to the European Parliament.

Half of the law-and-order pledges Fianna Fáil made in its 2019 local election manifesto have re-appeared in their 2024 manifesto. Ben Scallan asks Education Minister Norma Foley why the public should believe her party will achieve these if they didn't over the last 5 years.

Dublin Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste speaks to Gript about a new housing development in Dublin 1 beside the Ilac Centre. He also discussed people "acting the maggot" at the Dublin-New York Portal project, saying.

Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman says his Department is projecting around 22,000 asylum seekers arriving in Ireland this year - a dramatic increase on the 13,000 that arrived last year.

During Covid, the Irish government closed schools for longer than the OECD average. Ever since, the trend of students missing school days has been seen at a much higher rate nationwide. Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman says he doesn't think these are linked.

The Irish government currently gives funding to political parties that run "people of diversity" as candidates, while FF's 2024 local election manifesto calls for mandatory "gender targets" in local government boards. Gript's Ben Scallan asks Micheál Martin about this.

Taoiseach Simon Harris says it's wrong to think of "international obligations" as a set of received rules, saying that instead "We're part of the international community - we're part of the countries that make the rules." Question by Ben Scallan. https://youtu.be/6t5P_-42mgM?si=PBXS5khsvi0iRZY8

In 2022 Darragh O'Brien accused Carol Nolan of undermining "social cohesion" because she warned that his government's 'no cap' asylum policy would lead to crisis. Asked if Nolan now deserved an apology, Roderic O'Gorman said: "I certainly don't think she's owed an apology, no."

FLASHBACK: A Fianna Fáil Senator previously said there's "no question" but that 16-year-olds would vote for the government due to their climate policies, while a Sinn Féin TD said 16s should vote as they're "more engaged" with issues like climate change and Black Lives Matter.