Opposition reaction: Senior Fine Gael and Labour politicians said yesterday that the European and local election results had laid the foundation for a new Rainbow coalition government.
"I think there is an alternative government forming," Labour's Mr Eamon Gilmore TD said yesterday.
Speaking on RTÉ, Mr Gilmore said: "If you take the combined vote of Labour and Fine Gael and the Green Party, it's in the mid-40s.
"One of the things that we heard constantly as we canvassed was, 'When are you going to get them out? We want this Government out'."
Mr Gilmore left open the possibility of a pact with Sinn Féin on some local authorities. "The Labour Party is obviously going to have to work with Sinn Féin on Dublin City Council and on other councils. Councillors who have been elected by the public will have to be worked with."
Meanwhile, Mr Bernard Allen TD, a member of Fine Gael's front bench, predicted that the party would be back in government by 2007.
He said the party's performance in the local and European election showed it was now "a lean, efficient fighting machine".
"What we've seen is a stepping stone to government in three years' time," he said.
Mr Allen said Fianna Fáil would not be able to recover from its losses in the two elections. "People are sick and tired of their promises. I believe people won't be bribed by the Special Savings Account [due to be paid out in 2007] or issues like that.
"I don't see any reason why a combination of Fine Gael and Labour and/or the Green Party would not be very attractive as a coalition government."
Fine Gael TD David Stanton said his party had narrowed the gap with Fianna Fáil. "If there was a general election in the morning, Fianna Fáil would be gone and we'd be in government," he said.