There's a "real chance" of a Sinn Féin & Fianna Fáil government being formed after the next election, according to Ivan Yates.
The former minister and broadcaster believes Sinn Féin will be "by far" the largest party in the next Dáil, and that a new Fianna Fáil leader could be more open to a coalition than Micheál Martin is.
He was commenting as opinion polls continue to show Mary Lou McDonald's party as the most popular in the country.
The party secured the most votes in last year's vote, although was ultimately unable to put together a government after both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ruled out entering a coalition with them.
On The Pat Kenny Show, Ivan Yates of Media Masterclass said it's clear Sinn Féin's surge is “not a flash in the pan”.
He said: “There’s a couple of zeitgeists they’ve got hold of. There’s a generation of 20 and 30 somethings for whom the life journey has changed… they’re pretty peeved and very negative towards the establishment party.
“I would also say over the last 20 years, since the Good Friday Agreement, the Troubles have not been with us. There’s a whole generation perhaps who have a different perspective of Northern Ireland.
“I think younger public opinion is not only more green in the environmental space, but also in terms of the nationalistic fervour - I think that’s very positive for Sinn Féin.”
Ivan believes the current government will last a full term until 2025, and the parliamentary arithmetic will ultimately determine the shape of the next government.
He said there is indeed a chance that centre-left parties such as Labour and the Social Democrats could join Sinn Féin for a government of the left.
However, he suggested the "most intriguing thing" in Irish politics at the moment is a likely leadership change in Fianna Fáil before the next election.
Ivan doesn't believe Micheál Martin - whose term as Taoiseach is due to end next year as part of the programme government - will lead the party into the next vote, despite Mr Martin's vow that he will do so.
Ivan explained: "After January 2023, the good people in FF are going to look for an alternative leader. The key interesting thing for me is a real chance of an FF / SF government if the [new] leader is open to that.
“Under Micheál Martin’s watch, a FF / SF government was not possible.”
Meanwhile, Ivan also noted that Fine Gael will have had a decade and a half in power by the time the next election rolls around.
He said would do “Fine Gael and the country good” for Leo Varadkar's party to spend some time in opposition after the current government's term ends.
