Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday voiced his firm belief he was the best-qualified person for the post and he claimed the Opposition privately accepted this.
The other parties, outside of election times, would see "that the best person to become Taoiseach is myself. That is what I believe," he told Matt Cooper on Today FM's The Last Word.
He rejected suggestions that he might have to step down as Fianna Fáil leader if the party ended up in post-election coalition negotiations with any party other than the PDs.
"I don't think there are any difficulties. I had some personal issues to deal with, which I did and which were thrown up into the public media because the tribunal data was leaked illegally.
"I don't think that would create difficulties," said Mr Ahern, who added that he had never believed that the controversy about his personal finances threatened his place in office.
"I have never felt that, and I don't feel it today. Thankfully, I continue to work for my party and get huge support from my party, and continue in the opinion polls to be 20 [per cent] ahead of my party."
His opponents were "all fine people as far as I am concerned", but he did not believe they would run the country as well as he had.
"I don't believe they would. Any time they got the opportunity, unemployment went up and the construction industry went into problems.
"When I took over this country after just 2½ years of those parties there was 11 per cent unemployment; huge deprivation problems. I haven't solved every problem, but I certainly have run a good ship."
Questioned about the plan to build private hospitals on public hospital grounds, the Taoiseach said he would argue "the case with anyone" in any post-election coalition negotiations.
"We have provided 1,300 beds in the last few years. With co-location we can very quickly provide another 1,000. I would argue the case that if we are to go the other way we will not see them in the life of the next government. It takes so long.
"If the private sector was building a hotel with 500 rooms and I turned the sod today, I would be back next year to open it up. That does not happen in the public sector."
On transport, Mr Ahern said a limited number of bus routes would be opened up to private transport companies.
Most countries that had introduced wide-scale bus privatisation were "now changing it back" because private companies wanted only to "cherry-pick".
"We got good productivity with the good staff and men and women of Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann. There are some new routes that will go the privatisation route and that is all right.
"But we weren't going to walk over the interests of the semi-State staff in these areas. We have worked with them for the change and they have delivered change."
