SINN Fein will run 15 candidates in 14 constituencies in the general election and hopes to take one Dail seat, the party said yesterday.
Introducing the candidates in Dublin yesterday, the party's president, Mr Gerry Adams, said Sinn Fein hoped to take advantage of the public cynicism about politics.
"All the backhanding, the scams ... politics in many ways has been brought into disrepute by those who are in power or who are on the periphery of power, and I think people want to see that dented.
"I think there is some understanding that an Irish republican party like Sinn Fein, which is totally wedded and committed to our objectives, can dent what passes for politics here at this time," he said. "If that puts us into a position where we can actually influence the formation of a government then I welcome that prospect."
If his party held a seat or seats in a hung Dail, it would use its vote "in furtherance of our broad policy objectives and particularly our peace strategy. We would use it to defend the rights of those people who would give us our mandate and we would use it not in a party political sense but in the broad national interest".
Asked about the Taoiseach's comment before the British general election that a vote for Sinn Fein was a vote for violence, Mr Adams said: "The people in the North gave him the respect of quietly and good humouredly ignoring what he said, and the vote for our party was a vote for our platform and our manifesto.
"We will do business with John Bruton because John Bruton is the Taoiseach. That's the reality of the situation and we will do business with governments and other political leaders because the prize of a lasting peace is greater than any party political or other differences that we may have.
"It isn't a question of whether Sinn Fein will do business with John Bruton. The question is whether John Bruton will do business with Sinn Fein."
Party candidates are: Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain (Cavan Monaghan); Mr Pat Doherty (Donegal North East); Mr Mike Egan (Galway West); Mr Sean MacManus (Sligo Leitrim); Mr Christy Burke (Dublin Central). Mr Larry O'Toole (Dublin North East); Mr Sean Crowe (Dublin South West); Ms Martina Kenna (Dublin South Central); Mr John. McCann (Dublin West); Mr Kieran McCarthy (Cork East); Mr Don O'Leary (Cork North Central): Mr Martin Ferris (Kerry North); Mr Joe Reilly (Meath) and Mr Owen Hanratty and Ms Maeve Healy (both Louth).