Leo Varadkar has said Fine Gael got on “very good” with the Greens on Monday.
The Taoiseach was speaking after his party’s negotiations team met with Green Party representatives.
The talks between the two parties - which continue today - are part of attempts from all the political parties to try and break the deadlock to form a new government.
The General Election took place over three weeks ago on Saturday February 8th and we are no closer today than we were that night to getting somebody to run the country.
Speaking after the Fine Gael team met the Greens, Mr Varadkar said: “The approach that both parties took to it was that it would be an open policy exchange where we would talk about our policy similarities, our common objectives and also our differences and tease them through.
“I think the atmosphere is very good, actually, and it was very different to the Dáil which is so confrontational.”
The Greens for their part were keeping their cards very close to their chests last night.
They could not provide any comment to the Irish Mirror when we went looking for one after the talks finished up yesterday.
The Greens have been at the centre of the political speed dating of the past month, with their record haul of 12 seats putting them in the position of potential kingmakers.
They have been holding talks with all the main parties - including over seven hours of policy discussions with Sinn Féin last week.
Party leader Eamon Ryan has said there is a “willingness amongst the other leaders to engage with the Green Party and the increased mandate of the party.”
Whoever secures the support of the Greens is likely to have to pay a hefty price for it.
Most believe that at least three ministerial seats at the Cabinet table would be an opening bid. And there were even rumours last week that the Greens are demanding the biggest department of all, Finance and Public Expenditure, as the price for their votes.
The reason the Greens would want such a powerful ministry is that it would guarantee the bigger parties in a coalition wouldn’t merely pay lip service to calls for new Green politics, because the Greens would hold the pursestrings.
The Greens meet again with Fine Gael this morning, with Sinn Féin to hold substantive talks with Sinn Féin on what a Social Democrats spokesman said are “policy priorities.”
There were rumours last night that the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil leaders, Mr Varadkar and Micheál Martin, are due to meet tomorrow evening, but neither party would confirm this last night.
It is virtually impossible at this stage that a new Taoiseach and his or her government will be elected when the Dáil returns this Thursday.
