Opposition parties are pressing Brian Cowen to call a snap election Irish parties are to hold crisis talks after the Greens pulled out of the coalition led by beleaguered Prime Minister Brian Cowen.
The Green Party's decision wipes out the governing coalition's two-seat majority and puts into question the passage of a vital finance bill.
The main parties will try to reach a deal on a timetable for the finance bill and on a general election date.
Irish voters are currently due to go to the polls on 11 March.
Mr Cowen quit on Saturday as leader of the Fianna Fail party, but is staying on as taoiseach, or prime minister.
Opponents said his decision to stay on was "farcical".
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan told Irish radio that "we do need a tight timetable - I will look constructively at any amendments" - "as short as possible a timetable as can be devised".
He added that the Irish Republic was dependent on international funding and had been for three to four years.
Analysis
After Brian Cowen's resignation, Fianna Fail is now a party without a leader and a coalition partner, and pressure is growing for a general election earlier than the 11 March date announced last week.
Green Party leader John Gormley's statement makes it a virtual certainty that the people of the Republic will go to the polls sometime in February.
But the fog of uncertainty remains.
That's because we still don't know whether the finance bill can be passed and, if so, when. Nor do we have a date for a general election, although it will almost certainly be sooner rather than later.
The opposition parties have threatened votes of no confidence in both the Irish prime minister, or taoiseach, and his government this week.
If the votes go ahead, it is unlikely the minority Fianna Fail government can win.
The opposition Labour party has threatened to press ahead with a no-confidence motion on Tuesday unless the bill is rushed through by Friday and the Dail dissolved, which would lead to early elections being held in February instead of March.
Labour finance spokeswoman Joan Burton called for the government to agree to an election either on 18 or 25 February or 4 March.
"I think the first thing Brian Lenihan has to realise is that Fianna Fail is now a minority government and it does not command sufficient support in the Dail to dictate the order of business," she said.
Mr Cowen is clinging on to power, and could well be voted out of office before the end of the week, says BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson in Dublin.
There is recognition on all sides that the political squabbling is damaging Ireland's reputation abroad, our correspondent says, but a deal is by no means guaranteed.
No loopholesFianna Fail had urged the Greens to stay in government to ensure the finance bill - needed as part of Ireland's international bail-out package - is passed before the election.
The bill is designed to cut the government's deficit. The Irish Republic was forced to accept the 85bn-euro ($113bn; £72bn) EU and IMF bail-out in November last year.
Mr Lenihan has revealed the bill, which was published on Friday, contains a number of reforms to shut tax loopholes.
Fast-trackThe Green Party will join the opposition benches immediately.
But it said it would still support the finance bill and hoped Fianna Fail would fast-track the legislation so it could be approved speedily.
Green Party senator Mark Deary has said if the bill is passed this week, a February election is "inevitable".
"If the finance bill can be concluded by the end of this week, a three-week campaign would bring us to 18 February, a four-week campaign to 25 February."
The loss of two Green Party cabinet members means Mr Cowen now only has seven ministers of 15, the minimum constitutionally allowed.
Mr Cowen has been under increasing pressure over his handling of the economy and party disputes.
Last Tuesday, he won a vote of confidence in his leadership of Fianna Fail. Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin, who had opposed Mr Cowen, resigned.
However on Thursday, Mr Cowen bungled a planned government reshuffle. The Greens were angered and blocked the reshuffle. Mr Cowen then called the general election.
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