Negotiating teams are meeting again today in a bid to reach an agreement to form the next government this week.
Some significant issues remain as Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens enter what they hope will be the last few days of talks.
The programme for government is now largely taking shape, bar some changes to the language so all three parties can sell it to their members.
Progress was made during a meeting between Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin and Eamon Ryan last night but a few big issues remain.
High among them - how and when to repay the billions the state will borrow to deal with COVID-19, and how to achieve the 7 per cent annual reduction in carbon emissions the Green Party wants.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney had said he hoped the talks process could finish as early as tomorrow, but most concede that's optimistic.
Though there is a pressing urge now to conclude in the coming days.
A series of important legislation needs to be passed by the end of June, and each party will need 10 days to two weeks to put any deal to their membership.
It was always going to be difficult to bring together three parties that were not overly keen on doing business with each other.
That process also hasn't been helped by a leadership challenge within the Green Party.
This week we'll find out if the negotiating teams and the party leaders can come to an agreement.
Whether their party memberships will ultimately approve it is an entirely different story.
