Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Niall Collins has said he would not have a problem with Fine Gael “propping up” a Fianna Fáil-led government.

Mr Collins said Fianna Fáil was contesting the election to again become the largest political party in the country, with a total of 71 candidates running in 40 constituencies.

“We absolutely aim to be the lead party, and under no circumstances are we going in as one leg on a three-legged stool for Fine Gael or indeed with anybody else - and that is emphatic,” he said.

Mr Collins said if Fianna Fáil ended up as the biggest party after the election, “well then that’s a different kettle of fish”.

Asked about the possibility of bringing Fine Gael into government in those circumstances, Mr Collins continued: “If we’re the biggest party, if they want to come in and prop us up, that’s a different kettle of fish...something I wouldn’t have a problem with”.

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Different ethos

He insisted Fianna Fáil would not “prop up” Enda Kenny as taoiseach or a Fine Gael-led government, saying Fianna Fáil had an entirely different ethos.

“Fine Gael stands for the richest and the wealthiest in society. The policies that they’ve implemented over successive years in Government now over the last five years and their budgets have impacted disproportionately on the people who can least afford to pay,” he said.

“It has always been our ethos as a republican party, fairness and equality in terms of our policies...So there is a huge divergence.”

National interest

He said Fianna Fáil always acted in the national interest.

Mr Collins was speaking at his party’s election headquarters on Wednesday following the launch of Fianna Fáil’s crime policy.

The party’s director of elections Billy Kelleher told The Irish Times in November that the party, which currently has 21 seats, could secure about 40 “on a very good day”, while more than 35 would represent a major achievement.

The minimum number of seats required to form a government in the next Dáil will be 79.