Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will begin full negotiation talks for forming the next Government today. The two parties' deputy leaders, Jack Chambers and Helen McEntee, met last night to discuss the structure for today's negotiation talks.

It follows a meeting between chief negotiators for both parties on Tuesday evening. Fianna Fáil's deputy leader, Jack Chambers, met with Fine Gael's deputy leader, Helen McEntee, to discuss how the government formation talks will run.

Coalition negotiations are to begin in earnest today after an initial meeting of deputy leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.The two main parties have not yet got down to full negotiations despite the election being held 12 days ago.

Helen McEntee's controversy-plagued tenure as Minister for Justice appears to be coming to an end as Fine Gael do not regard ceding the portfolio to Fianna

The deputy leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will met this evening to begin talks about the formation of the next Government. Fianna Fáil's Jack Chambers and his Fine Gael counterpart Helen McEntee will head up their respective negotiation teams when they meet later today.

Minister for Finance says it would likely be at least January before a new coalition government is put together

Fianna Fáil has asserted that its larger size must be reflected in the composition of government. But Fine Gael has pushed back firmly on that with Mr Harris responding sharply yesterday to any suggestion that it would be a junior partner.

The Labour Party also met on Monday afternoon to discuss the party’s next steps in talks

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are to begin government formation talks tomorrow, after a meeting between Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin on Monday

Ivana Bacik held separate meetings with Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin on Tuesday.