Green Party falloutGreen Party TDs met in Dublin yesterday to discuss the party's options in the wake of the general election, including the possibility of coalition with Fianna Fáil.
Over the coming days the Greens will consult party members in an effort to gauge the level of support within the party for a coalition with Fianna Fáil.
It is understood that all of the six TDs are willing to consider coalition with Fianna Fáil.
However, senior party figures maintained last night that a coalition would not be an option unless key policy changes in the areas of climate change, education and local government reform were secured during negotiations.
This would include reform of planning laws, increased investment in public transport and schools and the creation of regional assemblies with significant local power.
The party declined to comment in detail on yesterday's discussions between Green TDs.
In a statement party leader Trevor Sargent said they were in "a strong position to implement our progressive policy agenda". He said the party had held its number of seats at six and increased its vote, whereas the Progressive Democrats and Sinn Féin lost seats.
"Our parliamentary party has held initial discussions this afternoon and over the next days we will be taking soundings within the party on how to proceed," he said. "We want a responsible, stable and effective government and at this stage we are ruling nothing out."
The Greens and their senior TDs are not expected to comment publicly in any great detail over the coming days on their future plans, and they have taken the position that it is now up to Fianna Fáil or any other party to contact them to discuss coalition options. The Greens have received advice from equivalent parties in Finland and Germany on negotiating tactics and positions to adopt.
Should the party be contacted by Fianna Fáil, there are no impediments to entering negotiations on a possible coalition deal, and they can be instigated at the behest of the party leader.
However any deal would have to be approved at a special delegate conference and any decision on a coalition deal would be made on a one-member, one vote basis. All of the estimated 1,000 members of the party would be entitled to vote.
According to senior party members, it is believed that a deal could be agreed at a special conference, but it would require backing from all six TDs.
"A deal is not likely to be put to delegates unless it has the full backing of the parliamentary party," an informed source in the party said. TDs indicated a willingness to walk away from a coalition offer if the party did not secure what it is describing as "key deal makers" on climate change, education and local government.
"We're not interested in power for power's sake," one source said.
Mr Sargent has previously said he would personally not be willing to lead his party into coalition with Fianna Fáil, but last night on TV 3's The Political Party, he said he would do whatever the party membership mandated him to do.
"My job as leader of the Green Party is to take soundings and take a mandate from the party," Mr Sargent said. "My mandate I've been following clearly was not to lead the party into government with Fianna Fáil, and that's the mandate I have at the moment."