“To say this has been a good day for the Social Democrats is an understatement. This is a stunning result for Daniel – and is a testament to his hard work and hugely positive campaign.
“Daniel ran an extremely energetic, hopeful and inclusive campaign which really resonated with voters. He is incredibly hard working, compassionate and rooted in his community – and that really shone through.
“I would also like to acknowledge all of the hard work from Director of Elections Gary Gannon and Daniel’s entire campaign team, who have been knocking on doors for nearly six months.
“Daniel’s election victory today shows that people who want an alternative to the government are increasingly choosing the Social Democrats.
“Key to that is that people know where they stand with the Social Democrats. They know the positive vision we have for this country, and they are voting for that.
“I also want to commend our candidate in Galway West, Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich, who has nearly doubled the party’s first preference vote share in that constituency.
“Míde, a first-time election candidate, ran an excellent campaign and her performance has marked her out as someone to watch in the future.
“When I first stepped into the role of leader of the Social Democrats, I said I was unashamedly ambitious for the future of this party. Since then, as we have gone from election to election, the party has gone strength to strength.
“I am determined to continue to build on the huge momentum we are seeing in the Social Democrats and run a candidate in every constituency in the next general election.”