There is a view among some in Fine Gael that their combined number of seats with Fianna Fáil could end up somewhere between 78 and 80.

An exit poll shows who the majority of Irish people want to be the next Taoiseach

Sinn Féin is likely to be the biggest party on first preference votes in Dublin and Connacht/Ulster, Fianna Fáil in Munster and Fine Gael in Leinster, last night's Exit Poll suggests.