Government formation negotiations continued on Tuesday night with hopes rising a deal can be done by next week.
Sources at the meeting said the talks have settled down to “business-like” discussions every day and that "progress is being made, we’re getting along".
It was hoped that a Programme for Government could have been agreed by the end of this month, which falls at the weekend.
But it is now looking more likely that it will be in the days after the Bank Holiday weekend next week that a deal may be unveiled.
Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens are set to form the next government if the talks don’t break down.
If the negotiating teams of the parties agree the Programme for Government, it will be time to call in the leaders to approve the deal.
FG’s Leo Varadkar, FF’s Micheál Martin and the Green’s Eamon Ryan will decide who is to be Taoiseach out of this crunch meeting.
It will be between Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin as Mr Ryan has indicated he is not interested in the top job.
It is likely that there will be a rotating Taoiseach position with Mr Martin and Mr Varadkar taking two and a half years each.
Mr Ryan will then be freed-up to take the role of Tánaiste if he can get it.
After the leaders agree their roles, the whole deal will go back to the party memberships, where it must ultimately be sanctioned.
