Sinn Féin reaction:Sinn Féin has said it does not believe assertions by Fianna Fáil and others that they would not go into government with the party after the election.
MEP and candidate in Dublin Central Mary Lou McDonald said she would "urge people to take with a grain of salt pronouncements from any party that they would rule anybody out".
"Frankly I do not accept the protestations of some parties that they simply will not look at Sinn Féin," she said.
"After the event when the people have made their views known, I think every party at that stage will assess their position. In the run-up to polling day, obviously different people will say different things for all sorts of motives and I am not going to speculate why they might do that," she said.
Ms McDonald said Sinn Féin would be prepared to go into government with any party it could agree a programme for government with. "It is not about political ego, not about personalities, not about game playing, but about whether we could agree a programme for government that would deliver in the key areas. Whether it could deliver on public services, on the peace process, that would be the benchmark, the yardstick for Sinn Féin," she said.
However, she said that the Progressive Democrats "would obviously cause great concern for us".
Ms McDonald said Sinn Féin would want the introduction of all-Ireland planning, and the issues of health, housing and education to be addressed.
Sinn Féin would seek the introduction of "a proper housing strategy that clears the housing list and makes social and affordable houses available", she said.
She also launched the party's charter of senior citizens' rights: Sinn Féin would introduce an ombudsman for older people and abolish the means test for carers.
