Labour’s objective is to be the largest political party in the country after the next general election, party leader Eamon Gilmore said today.
"We believe the people of this country are looking for change," he said. "I believe the change the people of this country are looking for is away from the traditional established order of FF and FG."
Responding to an opinion poll, which suggested the Labour leader was the most popular choice to be the next Taoiseach, Mr Gilmore said the party plans to run more than 65 candidates in the election.
He told reporters at Leinster House he believed Labour will win a seat in every constituency and that it was targeting a total of 50. "Winning the next election with a Labour-led Government is an achievable objective, it's what we've set out to do."
Mr Gilmore said the TV3 poll, which saw support for Mr Cowen and his party plummet since his controversial radio interview last week, reflected the mood of the electorate.
Mr Gilmore also said Labour had supported the Government's budgetary strategy.
"The Labour Party signed up to this objective, agreed by the Government with the European Commission, we will go with that and if in Government we will proceed with that," he said.
He called for consistency in dealing with the public finances and said that no more than €3 billion in savings should be sought in this year's budget.
"That kind of chopping and changing and uncertainty that is giving rise to the lack of confidence internationally that is reflected in the higher interest rates the country is now being charged on the international markets," he told RTÉ Radio.