The Social Democrats have accused Labour of “selling their souls” by going into government with Fine Gael a decade ago.
Soc Dems co-leader, Catherine Murphy, was speaking at her party’s autumn think-in in Dublin city centre on Monday morning.
She said that her party had no desire for a merger with Labour, which would create a stronger left wing force - with 13 seats - in opposition to the government in Leinster House.
And she added that there was a serious issue of loss of trust between Labour and its members since their ill-fated decision to re-enter government in 2011.
Labour came out of that year’s election with a whopping 37 seats, before getting decimated at the next electoral outing in 2016, only returning 7 seats.
Last year they only won six, but they now stand at seven seats again after Senator Ivana Bacik won the recent bye-election in Dublin Bay South.
Meanwhile, Ms Murphy also told reporters at the think-in press conference that the issue of leadership is not up for discussion in the party until after the next election - which could be nearly four years away.
This firm response came in reply to a question about a letter received by the party leadership from some grassroots members over the summer looking for a party leader contest.
Ms Murphy and fellow TD, Ms Shortall, have been co-party leaders since the party was founded in June 2015.
On the Labour party question, Ms Murphy said: “We need new political entities, that’s part of why we founded the party in 2015.”
“I think there’s the issue of trust with the public, you know?
“And I know you have to compromise going into government, but you don’t sell your soul.”
And on the leadership issue, Ms Murphy was firm in insisting it was off the table for now.
Ms Murphy said: “We did have a process after the general election and that process engaged with that…. there was a proposal that myself and Róisín would lead the party, that was sent to the National Executive and was unanimously agreed, and that is for a period of five years.”
