Tomorrow's votes on the election of a new Taoiseach are likely to be postponed - to allow for more talks between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Negotiations between the two parties are well into their third day - but it's understood that today was the first discussion on substantive policy issues like the future of Irish Water.

Both sides continue to say that the talks are constructive and cordial - raising the prospect that tomorrow's vote for Taoiseach, due to take place at around 2:30pm, will be called off.

Figures on both sides now consider it more sensible to delay a vote - which would only see the two parties having to split again - and allow talks to continue into the weekend to finalise a historic deal.

Today's talks coincided with separate meetings between Fianna Fail and trade unions who are concerned about jobs being lost if Irish Water is scrapped.

SIPTU's Adrian Kane led the delegation - and says any proposal which results in Irish Water being scrapped, with workers not reallocated elsewhere, will not be tolerated: