THE CANDIDATES IN A NUTSHELL

WEXFORD voters will find a total of 15 names on their ballot papers this Saturday as the constituency goes to the polls to elect five Dáil deputies.

That’s two candidates fewer that the most recent general election in 2016 when a record 17 contenders contested in the Wexford Constituency.

Fine Gael put three candidates forward in 2016 and took two seats, while just one of Fianna Fáil’s three candidates secured a seat. However, November’s Wexford by-election for the seat vacated by now-MEP Mick Wallace restored parity as Malcolm Byrne took the seat for Fianna Fáil.

The strategies of both major parties in this general election are different from those pursued four years ago, with Fine Gael opting for just two candidates and Fianna Fáil selecting four.

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin topped the poll in 2016 with almost 15 per cent of first preferences votes. Despite Labour’s poor showing in recent opinion polls, he is expected to comfortably regain his Wexford seat, possibly topping the poll again.

The smart money appears to suggest an as-youwere result when votes are counted after Saturday’s polling: two FG, two FF and one Labour. But Sinn Féin’s Johnny Mythen lost out by just 52 votes in 2016 and his party are showing the biggest gains in opinion polls. There are also a number of strong independents and smaller party candidates in the packed field.

Nationally, more women are running in this election than in any other in the history of the state. Of the 531 candidates standing in 39 constituencies, 31% (162) are women. With four female candidates, or 26.6 per cent of the total, Wexford is lagging behind the national average.