DUBLIN, Feb 9 — Irish officials started tallying votes today in a general election forecast to put prime minister Leo Varadkar’s party in a historic three-way tie, after a surge from republican party Sinn Fein.

Counting began at 0900 GMT after an exit poll predicted Varadkar’s Fine Gael party, the Fianna Fail party and Sinn Fein all received 22 per cent of first preference votes in yesterday’s election. — AFP