A key negotiator for the Irish government anticipates a new coalition by January 22

A senior member of an independent group of parliamentarians negotiating with the two major center-right parties in Ireland stated Monday that a new coalition government is expected to be in place by next week.

The outgoing government’s biggest parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, are only one seat shy of the 87 seats required to form a government following an election on November 29. To secure a solid majority, they will need the backing of a few independents.

In preparation for the next parliamentary session on January 22, when a new administration might be chosen if the negotiations are concluded, the parties continued their negotiations over the weekend.

Michael Lowry, a member of a seven-member group of MPs who are not party affiliated, told national radio RTE before discussions resumed on Monday that “I would anticipate that we will have a government by January 22.”

According to Lowry, there was “still a body of work to be done” despite the fact that there had been recent successes in terms of effective alignment and consensus on a number of issues.

Separate negotiations between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and two additional independent members are being held in an effort to increase the potential coalition’s majority.

In order to ratify a deal, both major parties must have meetings for their members, therefore they are hoping to conclude the negotiations this week. These votes are considered a formality because the parties ran on a platform of forming a government once again.