Eamon Ryan has said that “in reality” the numbers are bust for a new left coalition.
The Green Party leader has thrown cold water on the prospects of a grand coalition of the left.
He said that, while he is still in favour of a possible left-leaning government - and he is still open to talks - he recognises the numbers problem.
Mr Ryan said it would be unstable and that it would be hard to see such a government “surviving more than three months.”
A majority of 80 of the Dáil’s 160 TDs (the Ceann Comhairle remains independent in Dáil votes unless there’s a tie) is needed to elect a Taoiseach and government.
If Sinn Féin, 37 seats, could cobble together a mish-mash of the Greens (12), the Social Democrats (6) and Solidarity/People Before Profit (5), they could get to 60, and with a smattering of the remaining independents TDs they could get to 80.
But Mr Ryan’s cooling has made this less likely now.
He told the Irish Mirror: “We met our socialist colleagues Monday and we had a very good conversation with them and going back to what I’ve previously said, we’ll listen and we’ll work with all sides, we have a lot in common.
“But the reality is, if you look at the numbers, it’s hard to see how you’d get a stable government.
“As we said to Richard (Boyd Barrett of People Before Profit) and Paul (Murphy of Rise) and Mick (Barry of Solidarity) yesterday, it would take three or four years to do anything, to really get change, it doesn’t happen in three weeks or three months, so how would such a government survive more than three months?”
Mr Ryan added: “It’s hard to see, but I don’t see us ruling anything out.
“We said that we’d speak to them further as well, treating everyone with equal respect, which is what we said we’d do.
“We’re doing what we said and I think it’s hard work, it’s down to real detail and policy.
“That’s what we are here for.”
Mr Ryan triumphantly marched down the Plinth of Leinster House at Noon on Tuesday leading 12 Green Party TDs into the new 33rd Dáil which convenes for the first time this week.
This is a record showing for the Greens, as they continue to ride the Green wave of climate action.
At one stage in the general election campaign they were riding above 10% in the polls and on polling day they proved very popular in vote transfers.
This has led to them coming back to the Dáil with a double figure tally in seats and the possibility that they could be kingmakers when it comes to the formation of the next government.
