Sinn Féin party president Gerry Adams refused to rule out tax increases if the party gets into Government, but said any rises would be fair and committed to delivering better public services.
Speaking in Dublin today, Mr Adams said that he would not discount sharing power with any political party after the next General Election.
He said: "Sinn Féin wants to be in Government. We're not mealy-mouthed about that.
But Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has insisted that there was no prospect of a 'cosy deal' between Fianna Fail and Sinn Féin after the next general election as its policies were incompatible with those he had been pursuing all his political life.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell also claimed that Sinn Féin's aim was to get the balance of power and use it to control the next government.
Mr Adams said his party was "seeking a root and branch review of the entire tax system to ensure it is fair and equitable to all and will deliver better public services.
"We have the ideological view that the economy should be for the majority of the people and any surplus should be used to build public services in health, education and housing."
He said his party's general priorities within government would include equality, distribution of wealth, the Northern Ireland peace process, the implementation of the Belfast Agreement and Irish unity.
Mr Adams said the Government would have to spend twice as much on social provision to get into line with other European countries He wouldn't rule out sharing power with any other party and said it was revealing that other parties were already ruling out coalition with Sinn Fein.
"The revealing thing is that they believe that Sinn Fein will be in a position to have a mandate," he said.
He said he never took the electorate for granted but that the party planned to place candidates in all 43 constituencies.
Mr Adams remarked that Sinn Féin had been accused in the past by political opponents of having no policies and of being a 'Brits Out' single issue party.
He claimed that Ireland currently had the widest gap between rich and poor among industrialised nations, except the US.
He described the last general election as a scam and an accountant's election, where the main political leaders refused to debate issues. When pointed out that the Sinn Féin had no experience of government in the Republic, Mr Adams replied: "We couldn't do worse."
"I watch this and it's a scary business. I deal a lot with the Irish and British and US governments and sometimes it's scary."
He said the Progressive Democrats was sharing government with a party that it told the electorate was dishonest, but that if they got more votes they would make them more honest.
The West Belfast MP said: "Rural development doesn't exist. Transport in Dublin is a mess. With justice, there are more killings here ... there is a gang war out there."