The Sinn Féin leader, Mr Gerry Adams, has said it was now well-accepted that his party was going to be "the story of this election".
The "conservative parties", including Fianna Fáil, were trying to frighten people by saying they would not go into coalition with Sinn Féin, but this was "a totally and absolutely contradictory position", given that they applauded the work of Sinn Féin ministers in the Northern Executive.
Mr Adams said other party leaders had made "absurd and very presumptuous statements" and he believed their attitudes would change after the election.
"Do you think the Taoiseach-to-be will not be sounding out the team of Sinn Féin TDs in Leinster House?" Mr Adams asked.
Sinn Féin was not driven by a desire to get into government, but by a desire to be part of a process of empowering people.
"If we can be part of a government which has policies which are about doing that, of course, that's a challenge for us. But it strikes me as unlikely given the shape of the other parties, because there is no ideological difference between Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fáil and the PDs," he said.
Mr Adams was in Sligo yesterday to launch the election campaign of Sean MacManus in the Sligo/Leitrim constituency.
Mr Adams said there needed to be "an outreach programme" for areas west of the Shannon to reverse the population move towards the eastern seaboard.
Mr Adams stressed the role played by Mr MacManus in the peace talks, and urged "people who want change" to vote for him.
Mr MacManus said he was confident he would be "one of a growing band of Sinn Féin TDs". As part of a team, he could achieve more than an Independent, he added.