Tánaiste Joan Burton has claimed giving Sinn Féin control of the economy would be tantamount to handing the keys of the country back to the troika.

Responding to claims made by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams last week that she is an "architect of austerity" through the implementation of policies favoured by the British Conservative Party, Ms Burton accused Sinn Féin of being "relentlessly opposed" to measures designed to encourage people back to work.

"If people were to give control of the economy to Sinn Féin they might as well hand the keys of the country back to the troika," she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland ahead of her first party think-in as Labour leader.

“The thing that most disappoints me about Sinn Féin as a party which seeks to represent working people is that they seem relentlessly opposed to any measures that help people back to work.”

“It’s almost as though they want a welfare economy rather than a working vibrant economy with small business, large business, and individuals at work and growing and getting prosperity for all of us”, she claimed.

Ms Burton confirmed a report in this morning’s Irish Times over Government plans to introduce a “return- to-work dividend” in next month’s budget.

The plan would allow parents who take low-paid employment to keep welfare payments worth up to €30 per child a week.

Ms Burton said she has received support for the measure which would be known as qualified child increases.

“I’ve discussed this in great detail with the Taoiseach and I am happy to say that our partners in government are strongly supportive.

“I want to move to a situation where individuals and people with children ...get an additional incentive to tide them over for a period when there’s a bit of uncertainty.

“What I am proposing is a back-to-work dividend for people going back to work where on a sliding scale over a period of time they would hold on to those allowances.”

Ms Burton’s comments come on foot of claims made by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams during his keynote address to his party’s think-in in Louth last week.

Describing Ms Burton as "an architect of austerity," Mr Adams claimed the Labour leader should not be allowed to distance herself from "disastrous policies of this Government".