Water charges will be suspended at the end of the current billing cycle, according to the government chief whip Regina Doherty.

Latest: The Independent Alliance says it is very optimistic to think a deal could be done by Thursday.

An Independent Alliance TD says he does not think a new Taoiseach and Government will be appointed on Wednesday.

Further talks are due today to finalise a deal which will pave the way for a Fine Gael-led minority Government.

A row has broken out between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over comments made by a senior negotiator in the minority government talks, writes Elaine Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny has raised the spectre of a second General Election, having told the Cabinet this morning that it was the very likely last time they would meet, write Daniel McConnell and Juno McEnroe.

Latest: Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin says the vast majority of the electorate are not in favour of another general election.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has accused Fianna Fáil of reneging on their election promises and of working to put acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny back into power, writes Juno McEnroe of the Irish Examiner.

May I ask President Higgins to bear in mind that at a cost €40 million a further General Election may well be the best option for the Irish people when one considers that Department of Finance officials have confirmed that Independent TDs had already submitted proposals costing €13 billion.

Is it an oasis, or a mirage? After 55 days lost in the post-election political desert, with seemingly no hope of rescue, for a brief period yesterday, TDs, senators and their handlers believed that at long last a government-forming deal is imminent.

Fianna Fáil TDs have hardened in their stance on Irish Water, insisting the utility be abolished and water charges suspended.

Left-wing TDs have warned of a summer of industrial unrest unless employers back down on pay disputes that are set to take centre stage.

Fianna Fáil may be prepared to agree a written government deal and support three Fine Gael budgets in exchange for the suspension of water charges until the next general election.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has described a Fianna Fáil concession on water charges during government formation talks as a “game changer” ahead of an expected deal between both sides.

Talks on government formation have broken up for the day without any discussion on Irish Water.

Latest: Fianna Fáil TDs have hardened in their stance on Irish water, insisting the utility be abolished and water charges suspended, writes Daniel McConnell of the Irish Examiner.

Fine Gael has rejected Fianna Fáil demands to defer all water charges until every house in the country is metered as the move would effectively hand Micheál Martin’s party victory in ongoing talks on Irish Water write Fiachra Ó Cionnaith and Juno McEnroe.

Fine Gael TDs could be asked to consider compromise proposals for the future of Irish Water today .

Labour has confirmed its intentions to stay in opposition after several days of speculation the bruised party was considering returning to power with Fine Gael.

Latest: Negotiators from Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have adjourned their talks for this evening to resume again tomorrow.

Labour has confirmed its intention to stay in Opposition after several days of speculation that the bruised party was considering returning to power with Fine Gael, writes Juno McEnroe, Political Correspondent.

Government formation talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are proceeding well and may be wrapped up over the next two days, say sources involved in negotiations.

Fine Gael negotiator Paschal Donohoe has said that the two main parties are working hard to reach a deal.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been accused of having their minds on another election rather than forming a government.

Talks on the formation of a minority government are due to continue this morning.

Yesterday was billed as D-Day. The day it could all go right or all go wrong, writes Daniel McConnell

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have finally opened talks on their differences relating to water charges as well as the universal social charge and are expected to formally exchange papers on the two areas today.

Labour TDs and defeated candidates have officially been put on notice that a second general election may be on the cards, as the party prepares to rule itself out of joining government.

Fianna Fáil Seanad candidates have insisted party bosses assured them they would not run an “inner list” of preferred candidates.

An Independent TD has said he will not touch the mooted Fine Gael-led minority government “with a barge pole” after it emerged Enda Kenny won Katherine Zappone’s backing last week by promising to address abortion laws and introduce equality-proofed budgets.

The acting Justice Minister has said it is "unlikely" there will be a vote to elect a new Taoiseach this week.

Labour TD Willie Penrose has said the party has no mandate to go back into government.

It's 53 days since the General Election - and government formation talks finally appear to be making progress.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is likely to vacate his position “within months” even if he is successfully re-elected, it has emerged.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and his team have been attacked by several of their own party’s Seanad candidates over a controversial diktat as to who to vote for.

Independent Alliance members have told Fine Gael they will not engage in further government talks with negotiators until a final deal is hammered out with Fianna Fáil.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny could be gone from his post within months, it has emerged.

The Labour Party last night appeared to have abandoned plans to re-enter government, following a major internal backlash.

Latest: TD John Halligan has admitted there are differences within the Independent Alliance group about whether to join a Government that includes the Labour Party.

Latest: Green Party Deputy Leader, Catherine Martin, says that their future probably lies in "constructive opposition".

Independent TD Katherine Zappone has insisted that she was not “formally” offered anything to back Enda Kenny in last Thursday’s Dáil taoiseach nomination vote, despite widespread speculation she may be in line for a potential ministerial role.

Staff in the Department of Justice have slated it for being secretive, closed, preoccupied with power plays, prioritising seniority over skills, and having the structure of a broken jigsaw.

“LET’S keep the recovery going” was the general election slogan used by Fine Gael to emphasise the Government’s mastery of the economy and its competence in matters financial compared to administrations in other countries that had also suffered severely in the recession.

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