Sean Fleming is now the longest-standing politician on the ballot paper. First elected in 1997, he has held his seat in each of the subsequent elections – 2002, 2007, 2016 (when he topped the poll for the first time) and 2020.

This will be his seventh election to contest and if the next Dáil runs its full term, he’ll be on course to serve 29 years in Leinster House.

All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.