Green Party rising star Saoirse McHugh has said Sinn Fein would be her preferred coalition partners ahead of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
The 29-year-old insisted the party - which soared to 25% and topped the latest MRBI poll - is more likely to prioritise people above big business.
Ms McHugh, who last year stressed she would resign from the party if they entered coalition with Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, has softened her stance slightly.
She said: “What I said previously is it’ll be up to the membership to decide who goes in.
“Looking at policies, once again it would depend on the programme for government brought forward, but Sinn Féin does talk about social equality
"And about taking care of those who are struggling the most in society and they seem less beholding to the Apples of the world.
“And so currently, I think I would align more with Sinn Féin.”
Achill, Co Mayo woman McHugh was hugely impressive during last year’s European Elections campaign and received more than 51,000 first preference votes.
She added: I would only support a party that agreed to a programme of government that was equitable, that had actual environmental action in it, that was socially just, that said there will be, no question, no more homeless people in Ireland.
“No more direct provision in Ireland, no more people sitting on trolleys for two-to-three nights in Ireland.
“No more nurses having to leave because they’re too anxious to go on night shift because there’s so few of them.
“And so it’s nothing to do with the name of the party, if a party brought forward policies that said I’m going to prioritise people and communities and the environment above large businesses and their profits then I’d support them.”
