Combinations poser as numbers game in full play

As anyone who watched poll station counts in recent days will testify, politics is a numbers game. And that will only become more clear over the coming days as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil battle with numbers to avoid having to hook up together.

Leaving aside policy positions and practicalities, there are in theory five ways of creating a government with the required 79 seats to rule. Any of these could help avoid the scenes in 1989 and 1992 when no Taoiseach was nominated. It would stave off any further delay in proceedings when the Dáil resumes on March 10.

However, unless either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil swallows its pride and concedes it will have to cut a deal in some form, it appears there is no other option for any realistic government on the table.