BBC News NI’s Aoife Moore in Dublin
Early tallies are predicting an upset for some government ministers.
Although not all boxes are open, trends are beginning to emerge.
In Wicklow, which has four seats, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is in fifth place.
Health had been a hot topic in the election campaign as waiting lists continue to rise.
Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris is in the same constituency and is leading the way in early tallies.
In Dublin Mid-West, Minister for Children, the Green Party’s Roderic O’Gorman, is in trouble at this early stage, currently in sixth place.
O’Gorman had been put in the unenviable position of having responsibility for asylum seeker integration and accommodation – something the current government struggled to get a handle on amid a misinformation campaign from the far right and lack of available beds for refugees.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is likely to take the first seat in the Dublin Central constituency.
Social Democrat Gary Gannon and Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe also look safe in their seats.
The final seat looks likely to be a close race between the Labour Party senator Marie Sherlock and Independent candidate Gerard Hutch.
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