SO… JUST HOW VULNERABLE ARE PARTY’S FRAGILE FOUR?

Labour sources fear the party is 1,000 votes from annihilation. In fact, fewer votes than that would have finished the party off.

Had election 2016 seen four elected TDs lose 935 votes to their closest rivals the party would have been reduced to just two seats.

and while, based on 2016 figures, brendan Howlin and Seán Sherlock are still technically safe, the oldest party in Ireland – historically and in age profile – continues to dive, with the remaining four TDs hanging on by their fingernails.

Were they to go, it would be as close to annihilation as does not matter. Here are the fragile four in order of danger: