Labour and Social Democrats continue talks with main two parties

'They want to spend the next five years saying that nobody else is interested in governing and we want to show them we're serious'

Labour leader Ivana Bacik last week said her party was "unlikely" to go into government given the numbers but wanted to give both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil a chance to fully lay out its plans around issues such as housing. Picture: Gareth Chaney/PA

The Labour Party and the Social Democrats are continuing talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, but there is belief within both parties that regional independents will be part of the next government.

Labour's parliamentary party will meet on Thursday to decide its next steps following meetings with both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, while the Social Democrats will meet with Fine Gael on Thursday. In a statement on Monday, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that his party had met with Labour.