Members of the Fine Gael parliamentary party and some 1.000 Labour Party delegates endorsed a Programme for Goverment at separate party conferences today. The Programme was unanimously endorsed by Fine Gael, while Labour delegates overwhelmingly endorsed the Programme. Members of Labour spoke in support of and in opposition to the Programme before a show of hands settled the outcome. [Video of Labour conference & PDF of Programme are below]

Malachy Browne's internal tipping machine has come out with the composition of the 31st Dail at: Fine Gael 79 seats, Labour 31, Independents 21, Fianna Fail 22, Sinn Fein 12, and one lonely Green - Eamon Ryan in Dublin South. 

And so Election Day has arrived. Some two million people will cast their vote today, and if polls are right, 800,000 of us will choose a Fine Gael candidate over any other. Below, an overview of the campaign, and Politico's predictions. Argument is welcome!

Galway East

• No of Seats: 4
• No of Male Candidates: 11
• No of Female Candidates: 2
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 13
• No of TDs standing: 1
• No of Senators standing: 1
• No of Councillors standing: 6
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 4
• Population (2006): 100629
• Population per TD: 25157
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): -384
• % Variance: -1.50%
  

Galway West

• No of Seats: 5
• No of Male Candidates: 14
• No of Female Candidates: 3
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 17
• No of TDs standing: 3
• No of Senators standing: 2
• No of Councillors standing: 6
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 5
• Population (2006): 131041
• Population per TD: 26208
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): 667
• % Variance: 2.61%
  

Kerry North-West Limerick

• No of Seats: 3
• No of Male Candidates: 9
• No of Female Candidates: 2
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 11
• No of TDs standing: 3
• No of Senators standing: 0
• No of Councillors standing: 2
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 3
• Population (2006): 77492
• Population per TD: 25831
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): 290
• % Variance: 1.13%
  

Kerry South

• No of Seats: 3
• No of Male Candidates: 8
• No of Female Candidates: 2
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 10
• No of TDs standing: 2
• No of Senators standing: 0
• No of Councillors standing: 5
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 3
• Population (2006): 75489
• Population per TD: 25163
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): -378
• % Variance: -1.48%
  

Kildare North

• No of Seats: 4
• No of Male Candidates: 10
• No of Female Candidates: 2
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 12
• No of TDs standing: 4
• No of Senators standing: 0
• No of Councillors standing: 4
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 4
• Population (2006): 106500
• Population per TD: 26625
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): 1084
• % Variance: 4.24%
  

Kildare South

• No of Seats: 3
• No of Male Candidates: 8
• No of Female Candidates: 0
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 8
• No of TDs standing: 3
• No of Senators standing: 0
• No of Councillors standing: 2
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 3
• Population (2006): 79835
• Population per TD: 26612
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): 1071
• % Variance: 4.19%
  

Laois-Offaly

• No of Seats: 5
• No of Male Candidates: 20
• No of Female Candidates: 1
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 21
• No of TDs standing: 3
• No of Senators standing: 0
• No of Councillors standing: 10
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 5
• Population (2006): 133651
• Population per TD: 26730
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): 1189
• % Variance: 4.66%
  

Limerick City

• No of Seats: 4
• No of Male Candidates: 11
• No of Female Candidates: 2
• Total number of GE11 candidates: 13
• No of TDs standing: 5
• No of Senators standing: 0
• No of Councillors standing: 3
• No of MEPs standing: 0
• No of Seats: 4
• Population (2006): 100993
• Population per TD: 25248
• Average Population per TD: 25541
• Variance (from average): -293
• % Variance: -1.15%