A number of Fine Gael TDs have opened the door to a grand coalition with Fianna Fáil, insisting a government should be formed on policies and not personalities.

TDs including Eoghan Murphy, Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy and David Stanton have called for a calm approach to any coalition - and refused to rule out going into government with Fianna Fáil.

The Dail, which met for the first time on Thursday following the general election, failed to elect a new Taoiseach and has adjourned until the 22nd of March, when there will be an update on talks to form a Government and statements on a number of issues.

TDs are due to meet again in Leinster House on the 6th of April.

Regina Doherty of Meath East said people have paid too much attention to personalities - and doesn't want to force Ireland into a second election:

“It’s about policy, and actually we have all been concentrating for the last two weeks on personalities, when it really is about how are collectively the 158 people going to fix the homeless crisis.

“How are we going to devolve budgets from the department of the environment down to councils to get things moving?

“How are we going to look at health differently? Maybe to split it in two, as opposed to doing what we’ve done collectively with different parties for the last 25 years and still not getting a happy result that people are happy about,” added Deputy Doherty.