Further stalemate ominous for future of minority government

Everything was on track. The mood music was good. Government formation negotiators were pointing towards a weekend deal in the making. Then talks broke down again yesterday evening as a further standoff ensued between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, writes Juno McEnroe

Overnight, both teams had sought “technical” advice from experts, including on what compromise could be agreed on the impasse over water charges, the main stumbling block to a deal.

A question was how much in “generous” allowances could be afforded from Fine Gael’s point of view, to appease Fianna Fáil demands. Moreover, advice was needed on how meters might help homeowners apparently ‘beat’ the charge by conserving water. But this requires an actual meter.