Green Party leader has Trevor Sargent rejected talk of a pre-election pact with Fine Gael as premature, calling instead for concerted effort to expose the current Government for treating the public with "contempt".
Responding to comments made by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Mr Sargent said: "Frankly I believe that any talk of a pre-election pact is letting the current Government off the hook. Parties in opposition need firstly to co-operate to expose how this Fianna Fail and PD administration is treating the people with contempt and storing up problems for the future. "
Mr Kenny yesterday raised the prospect of a coalition with the Labour Party but without the Greens if Fine Gael and Labour managed to win 84 Dáil seats.
But speaking at the conclusion of a two-day party meeting in Kilkenny today, Mr Kenny said Fine Gael would talk to Green Party leader Mr Trevor Sargent "and see what lies ahead".
He also said he would honour after an election any promises given beforehand.
"If we can arrive at a situation where we have a pre-election pact with Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens that election pact would apply post any election also," he said.
"I would honour it. If I make an election pact with Labour and the Greens before the election I would certainly honour it after the election. The answer to that question is Yes," he added.
Asked about the prospect of sharing power with the Greens, Mr Kenny said: "I respect him [Mr Sargent] and I respect the Green Party.
"I don't see the Green Party as any kind of bogeymen. They are a registered political party. They have their own policies and their own views.
"Their starting point is that they don't want to have anything to do with FF in government. From that perspective I am going to talk to Trevor Sargent and see what lies ahead," Mr Kenny said.