THE GREEN Party's leader in the Republic Eamon Ryan has invited all parties to bilateral meetings this week as attempts continue to break the impasse surrounding who will form the next Dublin government.
No single party won the required 80 seats to govern on their own following last Sunday's election, with Fianna Fáil gaining 38 TDs, Sinn Féin 37 and Fine Gael 35.
The first meeting of the new Dáil is due to take place on Thursday, but is unlikely to agree on the make-up of government. The role of smaller parties and independents will be key.
Reports over the weekend suggested that the Greens, which has 12 TDs, could enter a three-way coalition with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to secure a five seat majority.
However, questions remain over who would be taoiseach, for how long and how the plan would work in practice.
There are suggestions that Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin could take the top job for the first three years of the government and Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar for the remaining two, according to The Sunday Independent.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said he wanted to talk to all parties this week regarding their policies and would not get "bogged down" on a single option.
"If it is just a veneer, we won't go in. It is as clear as that. Our own members would have to decide but I don't think we would or should," he told RTÉ.
"But if it is delivering substantive change, which is financed and is helping to build stronger communities, then I think we shouldn't rule it out. People voted for people to deliver on their promises and that is what we are seeking to do."
Speaking in Belfast on Saturday, Sinn Féin leader Mary-Lou McDonald hit out at Fianna Fáil's refusal to enter talks with her.
"And it now seems that Micheál Martin's plan is to deny the people what they voted for. That is an arrogant and untenable position, given the strength of Sinn Féin's mandate," she said.
"The political establishment of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are circling the wagons in defence of a status quo that will not deliver the change citizens voted for last weekend."
Fine Gael is due to meet today to discuss the outcome of the election and its' next steps.
Mr Varadkar said: "Sinn Féin should explain why it appears to have thrown in the towel on its plans for a left-wing government."
Meanwhile, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he does not expect a government to be formed before the end of March.
"When you are putting a government together we have to look to the future as well," he said.
"It is not just about sorting out the present position. It will have to take into account the election result and what is the policy formulation."
Another election has also been raised as a possibility, but that option is favoured by just 15 per cent of voters, according to a poll for The Sunday Business Post.
Following the last election in 2016, it took more than two months for a government to be formed, when Fianna Fáil agreed to support Fine Gael on key votes in a confidence-and-supply arrangement.
