The protracted process of counting votes in Ireland’s General Election will begin as an exit poll put the three main parties virtually tied.

The two main parties in the outgoing Irish government have again ruled out Sinn Fein as a potential coalition partner in the next government. The leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin were taking part in a TV debate just days before the general election.

Sinn Féin (21.1 per cent), Fine Gael (21 per cent) and Fianna Fáil (19.5 per cent) are virtually neck-and-neck in terms of first-preference votes in the general election, according to an exit poll. The Social Democrats are on 5.8 per cent of first-preference votes, followed by Labour (5 per cent) and the Green Party (4 per cent).