• Ireland's major centre-right parties have reached a coalition agreement with independent lawmakers.
• The new government is expected to hold a "comfortable majority" in parliament.
• Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is set to return as Prime Minister.
• The deal aims for a swift finalization before the upcoming U.S. presidential inauguration.

DUBLIN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - In a significant political development, Ireland's two dominant centre-right parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, have successfully negotiated a coalition with independent lawmakers, securing what is described as a "comfortable majority" for the new government. Following their underwhelming performance in the November 29 election, where they fell just one seat short of the 87 needed for a majority, these parties initiated talks to form a stable government.

Fianna Fail lawmaker James Lawless, a key negotiator for the party, confirmed on RTE radio that the coalition, now supported by a group of nine independents, has sufficient backing to move forward. He stated, "There's a group of nine independents now... and that brings us up to 95, so we've a comfortable majority" ([Reuters](http://reuters.com/world/europe/irish-parties-secure-comfortable-majority-new-coalition-government-lawmaker-says-2025-01-15/)).

A draft programme for government is expected to be distributed to participating legislators shortly, with a formal publication anticipated later today, according to Fine Gael lawmaker Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. This formalization of governmental structure is particularly urgent as both parties aim to solidify their authority before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whose proposed tax reforms could significantly impact Ireland's multinational-dependent economy.

Fianna Fail's leader, Micheal Martin, poised to return as Prime Minister, previously held the position from 2020 to 2022 and is expected to rotate leadership responsibilities with Simon Harris of Fine Gael. Additionally, Paschal Donohoe, a prominent figure in euro zone finance, is anticipated to resume his role as finance minister in the newly formed administration.

For more details on this evolving political situation, visit [Reuters](http://reuters.com/world/europe/irish-centre-right-parties-strike-coalition-deal-irish-times-newspaper-reports-2025-01-14/).