Paul Murphy has amalgamated his RISE political movement with People Before Profit.
The newly-enlarged party now has four TDs in the Dáil, with Mr Murphy joining Richard Boyd Barrett, Gino Kenny and Bríd Smith in Leinster House.
Mr Boyd Barrett said the PBP movement is an All Ireland party, running candidates in both Northern Ireland - it has one MLA, Gerry Carroll - and the Republic of Ireland, and that it is a growing party, with 50 to 100 people a month joining over the past year.
Mr Boyd Barrett said the party now has in excess of 3,000 active members.
Mr Murphy, has promised to run in the next election under his new PBP banner after it was pointed out to him that he has changed his political colours a number of times in recent years.
Before he founded RISE (Revolutionary Internationalist Socialist Environmentalist) in September 2019, Mr Murphy was associated with the
Socialist Party and the AAA (Anti-Austerity Alliance) in the Dáil.
Mr Murphy said: “All of us in RISE are excited to be joining People Before Profit to help build the left challenge to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael rule and the capitalist system.
“It’s clear that people voted for change in the last election and the disastrous policies of the government over the last year only underscore the need for the socialist left to come together to help kick them out.
“People Before Profit is a party that does what it says: it puts people’s needs, including our environment, before the profits of big business.
“It’s no accident that RISE and People Before Profit have led the call for a Zero Covid strategy, and have demanded what workers need, not just what the government says it can afford.
“By joining PBP we will also be strengthening the call for eco-socialist change to combat the climate and biodiversity crises.
“We appeal to all those who want to fight for radical change to join with us.”
Bríd Smith added: “All those sick and tired of this government dragging its feet on women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, disability rights, and climate action, we appeal for you to join us.
“We need to build the biggest possible challenge not only to this government, but also to stop the growing far right groups and their racist ideas.
“We have been campaigning before it was fashionable or popular for abortion & LGBTQ rights and the separation of church and state.
“We have been at the forefront in campaigning for radical climate action, bringing forward the first Dail bills to ban fracking and fossil fuel extraction, proposals for free, green and frequent public transport and legally binding CO2 emission reduction targets.”
