Taoiseach (prime minister) Enda Kenny has admitted his coalition government has failed to secure a return to office as the Irish election count continues.

Results so far suggest Mr Kenny's Fine Gael party will remain the largest in parliament, but will have only a narrow lead over its main rival, Fianna Fáil.

The junior coalition party, Labour, appears to have suffered badly.

Sinn Féin, smaller parties and independents all appear to have done well.

Counting will not conclude until Monday at the earliest, according to Irish state broadcaster RTÉ because a recount in Wexford requested by Sinn Féin will not begin until the morning.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has been elected on the sixth count in Louth.

Afterwards he criticised both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

"Fianna Fáil won't deliver. People who voted for them will be disappointed in the longer term," he said.

"The two big parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, have let the people down. They couldn't muster 50% of votes across the state - that's a seismic change in political history here."

There is growing pressure on the two parties to provide a government.

Before the election, both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil indicated that they would not go into coalition with each other.

With 104 seats filled, Fine Gael has 31 seats; Labour four; Fianna Fáil 30; Sinn Féin 14; Anti-Austerity-Alliance-People Before Profit four; the Social Democrats three; the Green Party two; the Independent Alliance four and 12 seats have gone to Independents.

(BBC)