SO WHAT’S NEXT IN THE TIMELINE FOR THE MAKING OF A GOVERNMENT?

YESTERDAY

After 128 days since the country went to the polls, a historic Programme for Government was signed off by the leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party yesterday.

TODAY

Postal ballots are expected to be sent out to the memberships of the three parties while they begin to try and sell the deal back to their grassroots.

Communications between the three parties are also expected to begin with the various grouping of Independent TDs.

Fine Gael, in particular, has been vocal about wanting a third smaller party, the Greens, as well as some Independents to ensure the Government lasts the full five years. The Regional Group confirmed to the Irish Daily Mail that a briefing on the programme has been arranged for today with a view to arranging a meeting later in the week.

LATER IN THE WEEK

Meetings with a view to involving various Independent TDs in the Green, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Programme for Government are expected to take place.

There are three groupings of Independent TDs, with the Regional Independent Group – with convener Denis Naughten – tipped to be favourite to get a shot at entering government. The three parties will begin selling the Programme for Government to their members before all postal votes are collected.

NEXT WEEK

All the postal votes of the three parties’ membership are expected to be received on Friday of this week (June 26).

Each party has their own voting methods – with the Greens most likely to offer up an obstacle. Two-thirds of Green members have to vote in favour of the document for it to pass. Nothing short of a ringing endorsement will be needed from deputy leader and leadership contestant Catherine Martin.

Fine Gael has a more complex voting system involving delegates from each constituency, the executive council and the TDs and senators. The parliamentary party has by far the most amount of control over the electoral system with their vote accounting for half.

Fianna Fáil has a more straightforward ‘one member, one vote’ ballot.

BY END OF JUNE

Micheál Martin is expected to be appointed as the Taoiseach of the historic Green, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil government over the last weekend of June or on the following Monday.

The future Cabinet, which will have been drawn up by now, will be appointed along with the Taoiseach’s 11 senators.

A vote on anti-gangland laws must take place before June 30 or some parts of the legislation will expire. Both the Dáil and the Seanad will need to vote on retaining the laws, which takes place every year as a formality, but that can’t happen until a new Taoiseach elects their 11 senators to complete the upper house of the Oireachtas.

However, there is a group of senators that are seeking a declaration from the High Court on whether the Seanad can legislate without the all 60 senators.

The 33rd Dáil will need to elect a Taoiseach who will have to form a government and make their nominations to the Seanad before the end of the month – a fortnight from today.

On June 30, the 33rd Dáil is expected to renew the Offences Against the State Act which is usually a formality each year.

The Dáil vote to elect Mr Martin has not been decided yet but it is expected to take place on June 27 or 29.

The new Cabinet and the Taoiseach’s 11 senators will be appointed on the same day as the vote.