Political leaders and Independent TDs are still considering their options for the formation of a government and attempting to assess the latest disclosures at the Mahon tribunal about the Taoiseach's personal finances.
Mr Ahern met the Minister for Finance and deputy leader of Fianna Fáil, Brian Cowen, yesterday to review the results of the general election and they will meet again in the next few days.
A spokeswoman for Fianna Fáil said the two men had looked at all the options for the formation of government in the light of sustaining stability over the next five years.
Ministers will not be meeting in Dublin tomorrow as had been expected and the first cabinet meeting after the election will take place this day week.
The Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, yesterday met his Labour counterpart, Pat Rabbitte, to review the outcome of their joint election strategy and to consider their options in advance of the first meeting of the 30th Dáil on June 14th.
Mr Kenny has refused to concede defeat and indicated his intention of talking to the Green Party, the Progressive Democrats and the five Independent TDs in an effort to seek support in the vote for taoiseach when the Dáil meets. A Fine Gael spokesman said it was intended to keep the prospects of putting together an alternative low key.
A Labour spokesman said the meeting between Mr Rabbitte and Mr Kenny had involved a review of the position and a chat about the options. He said there had been no approach from Fianna Fáil and the party was not expecting one.
Labour TDs will meet today to review the election outcome. Mr Rabbitte will open the meeting with a speech indicating his views about how the campaign went and an outline of the options he now believes face the party.
PD chairman Senator John Minihan said the party would be meeting today to consider its options in the wake of the election, as well as a longer-term review of its future, after the loss of six of the party's eight Dáil seats. The party's six defeated candidates will attend today's meeting, along with the surviving two deputies and its five senators. Mr Minihan said the party would consider all the options for the formation of government.
The Green Party also kept its counsel yesterday. A meeting with Mr Kenny is expected to take place in the next few days but there are no indications of any arrangements for a meeting with Fianna Fáil.
The Independent TD for Tipperary North, Michael Lowry, again signalled his willingness to enter negotiations about supporting a new Fianna Fáil government led by Bertie Ahern, saying it was "the only viable government" likely to last the full term. One of the issues being considered by all Fianna Fáil's potential partners is the discrepancy between Mr Ahern's account of a lodgment made to an AIB account in Dublin's O'Connell St in December 1994 and the Mahon tribunal's investigation of that lodgment, which casts serious doubt on Mr Ahern's account.
