Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said it was his intention to stand for election again as party leader at the next Sinn Féin Ardfheis and to continue to lead the party for as long as the membership want him to do so.
Mr Adams said speculation about his leadership was "a makey-upey story by The Sunday Independent" and it had "no basis whatsoever" and he rejected suggestions that his continued leadership was holding back Sinn Féin's progress in the Republic.
"Not at all (holding Sinn Féin back). I am part of a collective. If I have any virtues and if I have any addition to Sinn Féin it is that I am a good team player," said Mr Adams during an interview on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's Red FM.
Sinn Féin Deputy Leader, Mary Lou McDonald told The Irish Times on Thursday that Mr Adams’s acknowledgement that “nobody goes on forever” was a firm indication this year’s general election may be his last as party leader.
Ms McDonald also put herself into the frame as a contender for the leadership whenever Mr Adams steps down but she stressed that he enjoys “the full confidence of the membership and he will fight a strong campaign in his own right as the leader of Sinn Féin,”
Mr Adams later told the Cork radio station that it was his intention to stand for leadership of the party at its next ardfheis by which time he expected the general election to have taken place and Sinn Féin to have increased its Dáil representation.
"If I am lucky enough and privileged enough to be returned as party president and as a TD for Louth then I will lead the party for as long as the party feels (it needs me) and for as long as my health allows me," he said.
Mr Adams also played down any suggestion that Sinn Féin would go into coalition with Fianna Fail unless Sinn Féin was the larger party but he questioned Fianna Fail’s commitment to creating a fairer and more just society.
"We will certainly not support Fianna Fail if it is the senior party. We have put the point to Fianna Fail and Michael Martin that they should sign up the Right To Change campaign. It is all about making sure austerity is buried."
“To be honest, Micheál is on a bit of rant when it comes to Sinn Féin. I think it is a shame but he reduces it to personal invective,” said Mr Adams, adding that Sinn Féin would be seeking to increase its representation by running 50 candidates.
“If you want to look at, in the short term, what Sinn Féin is about it is about fairness and the protection of pubic services. ...We cannot and do not give promises that we believe we cannot give. We have given two firm commitments to get rid of water charges and property tax.
“And that will happen (but) I don’t believe Fianna Fail on this (promises). The difference between us and other parties is that we are a true republican party. We want to build a true republic just like the patriots of Easter 1916 wanted.”
