A Fianna Fáil TD has insisted his party is 'not dithering' when it comes to government formation efforts.
The party is meeting with Fine Gael this morning to talk about policy - but the two parties will not be starting negotiations to form a government.
Teams from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil - involving senior TDs from both parties - will meet to go through areas where they have some common ground.
Brexit, the economy, housing and health are likely to be discussed
However, this is not negotiation on entering a government and Leo Varadkar still insists he wants to head into opposition.
He has said he will talk to all parties - including Sinn Féin - but does not want to enter government with them.
Thomas Byrne, a member of Fianna Fáil's negotiating team, told Newstalk Breakfast that his party is willing to discuss government formation with both Fine Gael and the Green Party.
However, he acknowledged: "I think patience among the public is beginning to wear out - and will wear out very thin.
"Fianna Fáil is not dithering - we are in business to try to put a government together. We have 37 seats, so we obviously have to get other parties to agree to do that.
"Some other parties seem to be sitting back - Fine Gael in particular, although they are meeting us today - and I hope that this phase is over now."
Deputy Byrne also said talks with the Green Party last week indicated there were ideas that could be "latched on to" and explored further.
While fears around the coronavirus and impending Brexit negotiations may put more pressure on to get a government formed, we are still quite a long time away from one being in place.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall yesterday suggested "we're talking about sometime around Easter" before a new government is in place.
