Sinn Féin already in Government formation discussions

The Sinn Féin Leader says the election is changing the shape and mould of Irish politics.

Additional reporting by Digital Desk staff

Sinn Féin have already started discussions to form a new Government without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.

Party president Mary-Lou McDonald has said the two other major parties, which continue to rule out doing a deal with Sinn Féin, are "in a state of denial" and are still not listening to the public.

Speaking as she arrived in the RDS count centre, Ms McDonald said Saturday's poll represented significant change and she will now be working to form a Government.

It is expected that Sinn Féin could win as many as 36 seats across the country with many candidates looking set to top the polls.

Ms McDonald said: "I want us to have ideally a Government with no Fianna Fáil or no Fine Gael in it. I have started the contact with other parties to explore over the next few days whether or not that is a possibility.

"We've been in touch with the Greens, with the Social Democrats with People Before Profit and there are others. Like I said throughout the campaign, and I meant it when I said it, we need change we need a new government, the best outcome is a government without Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil so that's the first thing that I want to test whether or not that is possible.

"I also have consistently said that I will talk to and listen to everybody. I think that's what grown-ups do. I think that's what democracy demands."

Hitting out at Micheál Martin and Leo Varadkar who have both repeatedly ruled out going into power with Sinn Féin, she said: "I do not accept the exclusion or talk of excluding our party - a party that represents almost a quarter of the electorate, I think this is fundamentally undemocratic."

Ms McDonald who is expected to comfortably top the poll in Dublin Central added: "The extraordinary thing is that it seems that the political establishment, and by that I mean Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are still in a state of denial, and they're still not listening to what the people have said and I want us to have a government for the people."