The Fine Gael parliamentary party has backed Leo Varadkar's plan for senior representatives to enter into talks on Government formation.
While informal talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have already taken place, last night's decision puts those negotiations on a formal footing.
However, the party did not go so far as to elevate the talks into a process of negotiating a programme for government - apparently due to the need to focus on the immense challenge posed by Covid-19.
In a tele-conference call, the TDs, Senators and MEPs agreed that their negotiators should report back to party colleagues with any developments.