Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she believes there could be a General Election in 2022.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, she said her party is scoping out talent and preparations are underway behind the scenes to assess potential election candidates.
But she did not rule out the possibility of going into Government with Fianna Fáil.
She said: “I don’t think the office of Taoiseach should just be handed over from Fianna Fáil to Fine Gael in this entitled way.
“I think there should be an Election as soon as public health circumstances allow for it.
“I don’t think it should be a handing over the keys of the castle from Micheál to Leo.
“The people should decide who becomes our next Taoiseach.”
Ms McDonald said she has warned all senior Sinn Fein TDs that the party needs to be prepared for Government.
She said: “To everybody who is stopping, saying to me you didn’t run enough candidates.
“Literally everywhere I go people say it to me so I accept that and we will be sure not to make that mistake again so yes preparations are underway for the election.
“And then perhaps more importantly, our team is preparing for Government.
“I have said to all of our senior people, Pearse Doherty, Eoin Ó Broin, David Cullinane, Louise O’Reilly, that we need to be prepared because when we go to the people in the next election, I want to ask for the chance for us to demonstrated that we can make a difference.
“But I also want to say to people, we’re ready.
“Now we’re ready to be in Government.”
Ms McDonald did not rule out going into Government with Fianna Fáil or doing politics with Micheál Martin.
She said: “I’ll talk to everyone once the votes are counted.
“But my position remains the same, the best Government for change is one that doesn’t have Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil in it.
“The worst outcome would be Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil together and I believe I was right, the evidence reflects that.
“It was very clear in the last election that those who voted for Sinn Fein voted for us to be in Government.
“It wasn’t a protest vote, it was a vote that said, we know that things can be better and change is necessary.
“And people identified us as the vehicle for that change.
“We’ve now had the experience of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in Government, it is very clear that on the issues that matter in people’s lives, they have failed again, failed on housing.
“I have a ring side seat and watch day in and day out, watch this Government making the mistakes all over again and just remember after the last election, they said they had heard the people.
“They said they knew things had to change but that’s not true because they didn’t listen and haven’t changed their approach to things.”
Ms McDonald said she is “very conscious” that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil “joined together to keep Sinn Fein out.”
She added: “The view has been so far that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will just stick together come what way.
“But a week is a long time in politics.”
