The Labour Party will not go into government after the next general election at any price, the deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin, said yesterday.
While the party had a responsibility to give people choice, it would not be to its advantage to go into government for four years and take a hammering at the end of it, Mr Howlin said.
Mr Howlin admitted coalition had been a divisive issue within the party and he said Labour would not water down any policies to reach a common denominator to allow it to share power.
However, if we are going to have radical change "the choice should be beyond having just a Fianna Fail or Fine Gael Taoiseach" after the next election, he added.
Speaking after a meeting of the Labour parliamentary party in Neilstown in West Dublin, Mr Howlin said Labour would fight the next general election with a "radical" package of policies to meet the needs of the State.
The party was putting the finishing touches to five major campaign issues, focusing on ethics and standards in public life, the economy, housing and reform of the health system.
Mr Howlin pledged that Labour in government would introduce a Garda Act to allow for the establishment of a new Garda Authority. He also said it would replace the Garda Complaints Board with a Garda Ombudsman.
The party is also to deliver on its commitment to introduce an "accountable procedure" for high-ranking public jobs and will launch its own national development plan.
Mr Howlin said Labour would also build alliances with those who shared the same policy platform, including Independents.