Labour’s objective is to lead the next government because traditional assumptions about elections no longer apply, party leader Eamon Gilmore said today.
Reiterating his unwillingness to enter government with Sinn Féin, he said the leader of that party, Gerry Adams, had seemed to indicate a willingness to go into coalition with Fianna Fáil.
Earlier on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Adams pointed out that he had even negotiated a coalition with the Rev Ian Paisley.
"That sounded to me like he was prepared to do a deal with Fianna Fáil," Mr Gilmore said today.
The Labour leader was launching his party's campaign for the Wicklow constituency at a news conference in a local hotel. "It's probably a cliché to say this is the most important general election in our lifetime," he said.
He was flanked by Labour's candidates for the constituency - Anne Ferris from Bray, County Council chairman Tom Fortune from Kilcoole and Cllr Conal Kavanagh from Wicklow town.
Also in attendance were outgoing Labour TD for Wicklow Liz McManus, Labour MEP Nessa Childers and former minister Liam Kavanagh, father of Conal.
"It's a crucial time for all of us, a crucial time for the country," Ms Ferris said, adding that she was "absolutely honoured" to have been selected to run.
Cllr Fortune said people were looking to Labour to provide hope and a new direction. "There's no difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as far as I'm concerned."
Cllr Kavanagh said it was most likely Labour would be sharing power with Fine Gael, although that party was "a long way from the more enlightened version led by Garret FitzGerald".
Ms McManus quipped that she "hadn't gone away, you know" and pledged to do her utmost to secure the election of the "very fine" Labour candidates seeking to represent the constituency which included the eastern part of Co Carlow as well as Wicklow.
Mr Gilmore said a Labour-led government would "bring about the change that people are so hungry for in this country". The first priority of such a government would be job creation, and the second would be to improve the terms of the EU-IMF bailout package, which he described as a "straitjacket".
"We will have to change the bad deal Fianna Fáil have negotiated," the Labour leader said. "We have to get Ireland out of the pawnshop."
He said Labour would tomorrow unveil the "most comprehensive set of proposals ever" on budgetary and public service reform so as to "ensure everybody in this country gets a fair deal".
