A senior member of Fianna Fáil has conceded that a written agreement is needed to secure a minority government with Fine Gael. 

Dara Calleary says for both his party and Fine Gael, having a plan for how the mechanics of how the new Dáil will work, agreed in writing, makes sense.

His comments come as both parties prepare to resume negotiations on Monday, with policy set to top the agenda once again.

Deputy Calleary told Shane Coleman on The Sunday Show that the agreement could be written or entered into Dáil record, but would need to be formalised in some way.

"I can see why people want the mechanics of this to be written down and that there's clarity on both sides," said Calleary, "both on our side but also on Fine Gael's side. They will have responsibilities to bring to the table as well in terms of how they treat us and how they respect us."