DUBLIN: Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said on Wednesday for the first time he would be open to talking to his party’s arch rival Fianna Fail about the possible formation of a new government after his previous coalition was voted out of office last week.

Kenny’s center-right Fine Gael party is set to fall about 30 seats short of the 80 needed to form a majority in parliament with counting almost complete, leaving its historic rival as the only obvious partner to form a stable government.

He told reporters that all the available options of forming a government were difficult, but that he was committed to try.

“As the leader of the largest party, and as the Taoiseach (prime minister) it’s my responsibility to work to see that that process is put in place, and that includes talking to the Fianna Fail party,” he said.