Sinn Féin has defended its lack of participation in the discussions on the formation of the next government.

The party said it made attempts to form a government but failed to produce the numbers necessary.

Waterford TD David Cullinane said the party wants to be in government and fought the election to enter office.

Mr Cullinane said: “We met with TDs and smaller parties and we soon acknowledged that the numbers are not there for a progressive government.

“The electorate gave Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael the numbers to form a government and they have to work with that.”

Criticising Sinn Féin’s position, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he couldn’t work out the party’s logic in that “they say Fine Gael is terrible, we are terrible yet they want both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to go into government together”.

Mr Cullinane said the Sinn Féin’s goal is to form an alliance with like-minded TDs and parties to build a government in the long term.

The party, which secured 23 seats in the election, looks set to propose Gerry Adams for the nomination for taoiseach next week.

Sinn Féin will meet on Tuesday to confirm the decision but a spokesman insisted nothing had changed from the last sitting of the Dáil.