Bartering right up until the last minute

FINE Gael leader Enda Kenny and his Labour counterpart Eamon Gilmore are expected to sign off on a proposed programme for government today.

Horsetrading over how the key Cabinet posts are to be carved up between the two parties will be the culmination of any deal — and will be hammered out between the leaders themselves.

With the negotiating teams close to agreeing the policy dynamic of a coalition government, the two sides broke from intensive bartering yesterday to allow key parts of the agreement to be drafted.