Mary Lou McDonald says she will work with other parties to set up left-wing opposition

However, the Sinn Féin leader has conceded that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are likely to return to government alongside Independent TDs. Ms McDonald said: 

There’s no doubt about Fine Gael going in with Fianna Fáil, that they have the numerical advantage. 

“It’s not done just yet and, even if it is, we believe that it is more important than ever that those of us who believe in correct housing policy, who believe in affordability and easing the burden on working families, who believe in investment in our communities, that we work together.”

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However, Ms McDonald targeted Fine Gael, saying that it would become the junior partner in government with Fianna Fáil.

“We can’t stop Fine Gael going in as a junior partner to Fianna Fáil. We can’t stop the Independents propping up a government of the status quo and more of the same,” Ms McDonald said.

They have been voted in just like us, but we have a very, very strong hand to play. 

Ms McDonald said that Sinn Féin had a duty to put an incoming government under “maximum pressure”.

In particular, Ms McDonald hit out at what she described as bickering over who would be taoiseach first while people remain on hospital trolleys and housing targets are not met.

When asked if she would remain in place as the leader of Sinn Féin throughout the new Dáil and into the next election, Ms McDonald said: “Yes.”

The Sinn Féin leader also urged both the Social Democrats and Labour not to go into coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, saying that five more years of the two government parties is “not what this country needs”.

“Not alone would I urge the Labour Party and the Soc Dems, but any Independent worthy of the name Independent, not to go there,” she said. “We don’t need to give more years of what we have witnessed, so that would be my advice to them. Whether they listen to us or not is an entirely different matter.

“Whoever the incoming taoiseach is, just be aware [that] we are coming after you and not for a second should you imagine that continuing chaos in housing, across our hospital system, is tolerable.”

Ms McDonald said it was “bad practice” for Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to disregard Sinn Féin, saying that it was disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of voters who backed her party: 

“Micheál Martin’s position lands very, very badly with all of those people.”

She added that the return to government by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would lead to disappointment for “lots and lots of people”.

“But we really want to say to people that, as far as we are concerned, it’s still game on. Please do not lose heart, please do not lose hope,” Ms McDonald said.

Smaller parties are also due to meet in the coming days, with Labour set to speak to Green leader Roderic O’Gorman on Thursday and the Social Democrats on Friday. The Social Democrats have written to Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and Sinn Féin for talks.