"The smaller parties lost out"

[HanleyS]

Complete BS. The PDs lost out.

Labour held their seats, Greens held their seats, Sinn Fein lost one seat.

Michael McDowell killed the PDs.

[evercloserunion]

We lost Higgins

[QuizMaster]

I was sorry to see Higgins go

I agree McDowell destroyed the PDs, the egotistical buffoon.

The Greens were under a lot of pressure and were saved by their sheer likeability, i.e. the transfers came rolling in.

[Munion]

You have to consider lost opportunities too.

Both the Greens & SF expected to make serious gains in this election and neither did.

The Greens due to the increased awareness by the public of environmental matters and the Shinners due to the successful peace process & them being in government up north.

In absolute terms it was only the PDs, SP & SF who actually lost seats.

EDIT: If the Greens end up in government though they will have won and achieved more than FG & Labour combined.

[HanleyS]

EDIT: If the Greens end up in government though they will have won and achieved more than FG & Labour combined.

Obviously FG or Labour could be in government (with FF) if they wanted to be. They have the seats, all they would have to do is ask less than the PDs or Green in return. What's the point of being in government with no power though? I must ask McDowell.