Fianna Fáil, has officially moved to begin negotiations to form a government.
The party has appointed deputy leader, Jack Chambers to head up its negotiating team after a parliamentary party meeting earlier today.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that his party would adopt a “respectful and constructive” tone during discussions.
The talks are set to include Fine Gael, the Social Democrats, and a range of independent TDs.
Fianna Fáil secured 38 seats, making it the largest party in the Dáil.
However, that’s short of the 80 seats needed for an outright majority.
Sinn Féin followed closely with 37 seats, after a surge in support driven by demand for change, particularly on housing and healthcare issues.
Fine Gael, the incumbent government party, managed to secure 35 seats, while the Social Democrats gained traction with voters, increasing their presence to 6 seats.
The road to forming a government will likely be dominated by issues like housing, healthcare, and climate change.
