Voters deserve to be given a choice of possible governments at the next general election, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte insisted tonight.
Despite recent opinions polls showing a resurgent Fianna Fail, Mr Rabbitte said the outcome still cannot be forecast with certainty.
Mr Rabbitte said yesterday that his party would have more clout in a Coalition led by Fine Gael rather than Fianna Fail.
And he added that a Fianna Fail and Labour alliance was mathematically more likely after the election than one comprising Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats.
Mr Rabbitte said tonight: "I welcome the contest. I relish the debate. I am amply confident that with 53 policy documents published since the last election, Labour will be shown to have real, sensible and radical policies to tackle the issues that matter to hard working families."
Addressing the Wicklow Constituency Council in Arklow, he added: "What was conventional wisdom about the likely outcome three months ago is different now and may change again in the next three months."
He continued: "Because of our leadership, there will be a real contest in the forthcoming general election between two competing formations — Fianna Fail and the PDs versus Labour and Fine Gael."
Mr Rabbitte also claimed that Tanaiste and Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell was nursing deep wounds after being called 'boring' by a representative focus group on RTE's The Week in Politics'programme last weekend.
"Michael McDowell was flapping about on the airwaves again today, acclaiming his own political genius and pronouncing the end of the Mullingar accord."
He added: "At the drop of a hat Mr McDowell rushes out his single transferable speech about government formation. He is always available to jump up and down on the opposition parties and explain that whichever of the competing formations is prepared to take the PDs on board will be the best of all possible governments."