The co-leader of the Social Democrats Róisín Shortall has said a Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition government does not sound like change.

She was responding to a question about whether the Social Democrats would be interested in going into Government with the two bigger parties.

Ms Shortall said people voted for change and solutions to the big problems, including housing and health.

The party met in Dublin today after winning six seats in the 2020 Election, an increase of four on its previous representation.

Ms Shortall and fellow co-leader Catherine Murphy were joined in the Dáil by Holly Cairns, Jennifer Whitmore, Gary Gannon and Cian O'Callaghan.

She was also asked about Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald's appeal to smaller parties not to go into Government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

Ms Shortall said each party was an independent party and the Social Democrats would do what was best for the country.

She also said the party would continue to speak to other parties and look at the possibility of a policy platform being put together to address the big issues.

Elsewhere, Ms McDonald has accused Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin of arrogance.

She addressed a party meeting in west Belfast following last week's general election result in which Sinn Féin topped the first preference poll and won 37 seats.

She said: "And it now seems that Micheál Martin's plan is to deny the people what they voted for. That is an arrogant and untenable position, given the strength of Sinn Fein's mandate."

She said her rivals had no plan for Irish unity.

"The political establishment of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are circling the wagons in defence of a status quo that will not deliver the change citizens voted for last weekend.

"Nor, however hard they try, they cannot block the growing demand around unity."

"The political establishment of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are circling the wagons in defence of a status quo that will not deliver the change citizens voted for last weekend" - @MaryLouMcDonald — Gail Conway (@gailconwaymedia) February 15, 2020

Ms McDonald said her party's job was to deliver, whether by sitting at the cabinet table in Dublin or the power-sharing Executive at Stormont.

She added: "The people are ready for change.

"We will ensure that their voices are heard. That their democratic decision is respected.

"The old guard can have yesterday. There is no progress to be found there. Now is the moment for change."

Fine Gael TD Helen McEntee has reiterated that the onus is on Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil to try to form a government.

Asked if her party would go into a coalition with Fianna Fáil, she said Fine Gael had been clear that they would speak to any party that is not Sinn Féin.

However, Ms McEntee said Fianna Fáil had the largest number of TDs and Sinn Féin had the largest number of votes, which means it was up to them to try to form a government.

She said it was not acceptable for parties who had won the popular vote and the most seats to give up and say it was not possible to form a government.

Additional reporting PA