Galway Bay fm newsroom:
Independent Galway West TD Catherine Connolly is the new Leas Cheann Comhairle, or vice-chairperson of the Dáil
She's the first ever woman to hold either the role of Ceann Comhairle or Leas-Cheann Comhairle
63 year old Deputy Connolly was not expected to win the vote over government candidate Fine Gael Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd, and it represents the coalition's first defeat after less than a month in office
Deputy Connolly’s team estimate that some 15 of the Government TDs swapped sides and voted for her in the secret ballot, which was a close 77 to 74 votes
Our Political Correspondent Sean Defoe says the government will be trying to find out how this happened:
Meanwhile our reporter Daniel Considine spoke to the Deputy Connolly shortly after her election to the prestigious role:
