A Fine Gael TD has described any suggestion of a coalition with Sinn Féin as 'nonsensical'.

Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell joined a number of his party colleagues in dismissing the prospect of any future partnership between the two parties.

The strong dismissals came following guarded comments on the prospect by Mary Lou McDonald and Enda Kenny.

Speaking to The Irish Times, the Sinn Féin deputy leader said the prospect of entering any government as a junior parter was a "conversation that we need to be having between now and the next election".

The party had previously indicated it was committed to leading a future government and would "not be propping up any large conservative party".

Yesterday, the Taoiseach did not rule out the prospect of such a coalition in the future - although he stressed a partnership was not going to happen under the current administration.

He said: "Depending on the result you gave as a member of the electorate, politicians have to work with the result.

"Sinn Féin need to be being converted now to a position of changing their stance [...] I'm glad to understand that they know begin to realise in order to get things done you need to be in there."

"Nonsensical"

In a statement this morning, Deputy Alan Farrell argued: “Sinn Féin’s economic policies would be detrimental to our country.

"Furthermore, given the hypocrisy between the policy they advocate here and those which have been implemented in the North where Sinn Féin have been in a position of government, the simple fact is, we do not know what they would actually do if they ever did make it into a position of authority here."

He added: “In short, Fine Gael entering coalition with Sinn Féin would be nonsensical both in terms of policy and ideology."

First-time TD Colm Brophy said he could not support such a move because the parties are completely incompatible, while Deputy Peter Burke warned that populism does not create jobs.

Meanwhile, the former Green Party TD Paul Gogarty has claimed it is not the first time Enda Kenny has raised the idea.

He says Kenny asked the Greens' then leader Trevor Sargent to approach Sinn Féin on his behalf, when he tried to put together a coalition in 2007.