Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has refused to be drawn on suggestions his party may enter government in coalition with independent TDs instead of with the Labour Party.
Mr Kenny's party colleague Phil Hogan said yesterday that Fine Gael's preferred option would be to form a single-party government or in a coalition with like-minded independent TDs.
Following the publication of opinion poll findings which show Fine Gael approaching the 40 per cent mark it would need to secure an overall majority, Mr Kenny said the only parties Fine Gael had ruled out of any future partnership deal were Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail.
"You will have to deal with the reality of what the people decide on the 25th. It's not about any individual party at all here. This is about providing stability and government of courage and fairness and that's where our own plan resonates with the people."
Asked if he would publish details of any deal he might make with independent TDs, the Fine Gael leader told RTE's This Week radio programme that he would do so.
"Deals like that should, of course, be made public were that situation arise." Mr Kenny said the current government had "a secret book of revelations" and added: "we can see where that brought us."
Speaking earlier, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore dismissed the likelihood of a single-party government.
“On the basis of this [latest] opinion poll I am sure there are people in Fine Gael who are probably contemplating the prospect that they might be able to form a single-party government.” But he said he was “not sure people in this country want to see single party government”.
On Fine Gael’s chances of winning an overall majority, Mr Gilmore said the poll showed the only party capable of catching up, was the Labour Party and therefore it would go all out “to increase our vote between now and polling day”.
Mr Kenny's comments on the possible make-up of the next government came after Fianna Fail moved to accentuate growing differences between Fine Gael and the Labour Party.
Claiming policy divisions between the parties are "growing every day in an alarming way", Fianna Fail's North Dublin TD Pat Carey said there was a 'gulf' between the parties on banking and economic policy.
Fine Gael and Labour continued their offensive on each other yesterday, harshly criticising each other’s economic policies. Fine Gael front bench spokesman Leo Varadkar accused Labour leader Eamon Gilmore of getting his facts about Fine Gael policy “entirely wrong”
While the parties have been expected to form a coalition the results of today's Sunday Business Post/Red C poll opinion suggest Fine Gael could potentially form a government of its own.
Both parties have pledged to renegotiate the EU/IMF package as they seek a cut in the cost of the external assistance but they are opposed on many other areas of policy and a coalition of the two would be far from straightforward.
With less than two weeks left until the February 25th election the findings of today’s opinion poll show support for Fine Gael nearing the crucial 40 per cent mark it would need to secure an overall majority.
The Sunday Business Post/Red C poll put Fine Gael support up 3 points to 38 per cent, nearing the 40 per cent mark it would need to break to secure an overall majority. Support for the Labour Party fell slipped points to 20 per cent, while Fianna Fail fell 2 points to 15 per cent.
According to the poll, support for independent candidates is up 3 points to 14 per cent, Sinn Fein is down 3 points at 10 per cent and the Greens are up 1 point to 3 per cent.