Sinn Féin will meet smaller parties and Independents today as talks intensify to form a coalition government.

A poll out today shows that nearly half of voters are satisfied with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, while Fine Gael support has risen slightly.

Thirty-nine opposition TDs have backed a Dáil motion to immediately scrap water charges and hold a referendum to prevent water services from privatisation, pressurising Fianna Fáil to refuse any deal that ignores their pre-election promises.

An alliance of opposition TDs seeking to abolish water charges intend to force parties and other deputies to stand up to their election promises on Irish Water in a planned Dáil motion.