The Social Democrats have cancelled a planned meeting with Fine Gael today, accusing Leo Varadkar's party of 'game-playing and theatrics' when it comes to government formation talks.
Mr Varadkar said last night his party is planning to go into opposition in the next Dáil.
The Social Democrats were due to meet Fine Gael later as the various parties continue to meet about potential government formation.
However, the party now says it is clear that Fine Gael is engaged only in a "game-playing exercise".
NEW: Social Democrats cancel their meeting with Fine Gael today saying Leo Varadkar is “game playing” and they’ve “no interest in participating in such a charade” pic.twitter.com/uJmSOs2KrZ
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) February 18, 2020
In a statement earlier, the Social Democrats said: "We refuse to participate in what is essentially theatrics by Fine Gael.
"While it was always the case that we were unlikely to find much common ground with FG, we intended to honour our commitment of engaging openly with all parties.
"Clearly Fine Gael’s intention is to engage in shadow-boxing for the coming weeks & we’ve no interest in participating in such a charade."
Social Democrats co-leader Roisín Shortall said her party is willing to speak to all others - but insisted they're not going to take part in the "drama [Fine Gael is] playing out at the moment".
She told The Pat Kenny Show: "There isn't a left-wing majority for government - that's not possible at the moment.
"The independent group is not a homogenous group by any means [...] The idea of independents acting as a group is not on, so let's rule that out.
"We will have to have two of the three biggest parties involved in some kind of arrangement in order to form a government.
"They need to get on with that business at the moment and stop the game-playing."
Sinn Féin is due to meet independents and smaller parties today, with the Greens also involved in discussions ahead of the Dáil's first sitting on Thursday
Fine Gael decision
Fine Gael met for six hours yesterday to discuss their next steps in the government formation efforts, with Leo Varadkar confirming the party is 'preparing to go into opposition'.
Speaking to the media following the marathon meeting, Mr Varadkar conceded he won't be the Taoiseach when the next Dáil is formed.
However, while not ruling out Fine Gael being involved in government as a last resort, he said he hopes things won't come to that.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Fine Gael's outgoing minister of state Patrick O'Donovan claimed his party did not get a mandate in the election.
He said: "What we got was the third-largest number of seats, and we were told in no uncertain terms that we were to go into opposition... and that's where we're going.
"The Taoiseach has reiterated we're not looking beyond anything other than Sinn Féin in the first instance and Fianna Fáil in the second instance.
"They need to be given space [to form a government] - it took us 76 days to do it [in 2016].
"The numbers are there: let them be serious politicians or let them be just people who got a mandate in the full knowledge they didn't want to be in government."
He suggested there is a "whole range of people" in the Dáil who supported Sinn Féin on many issues in the last Dáil - with a clear mandate to 'get Fine Gael out'.
