Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has repeated her call for an immediate general election after the news Leo Varadkar is resigning as Taoiseach, saying in her view the Government no longer has a mandate.
Deputy Bacik was speaking at a housing symposium at the EPIC Museum in Dublin city centre this evening, and as her party prepares for its annual conference this weekend.
"They say a week is a long time in politics, and that was never more true than this week," she said.
"The decision (Leo Varadkar's resignation) certainly amounts to a vote of no confidence in his own Government, and we are very sure that now is the time for the people of Ireland not members of Fine Gael to decide who leads the country for the challenges out there."
Deputy Bacik said there are "4,000 children who are in homelessness" in Ireland and "record rents" affecting thousands of people nationwide.
She said: "We need to see a radical change in Government. We want a general election now, we're very clear about that. We've seen more disarray in Government today, we don't see this as the time for a changing of the guard in Fine Gael."
Deputy Bacik also said that she is "putting it to Simon Harris to in his first act as Taoiseach" to enact Labour's renters' rights bill.
Asked about Labour's own prospects, and how recent opinion polls have consistently placed the party at between 3% and 4%, Deputy Bacik said: "The reality of what we're hearing is a very different story on the ground. So I expect a very strong result for Labour in the locals and Europeans, and whenever the general election comes too."
A total of 89 motions for the annual conference have been tabled by party members on issues including housing, health, climate action, workers' rights and last year's Dublin riots.
Motions calling for the creation of €9 monthly climate transport ticket to encourage people to use public transport instead of private cars and others seeking what Labour says is the need for the full separation of church and State on issues like the National Maternity Hospital will also be heard.
Europe campaign
This evening's event is expected to see the official launch of Dublin Bay North TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin's European Parliament elections campaign for the Dublin constituency.
In January, Mr Ó Ríordáin defeated senator Annie Hoey and Fingal County Council councillor Rob O'Donoghue to be chosen as the party's candidate in the constituency.
In a statement, Mr Ó Ríordáin said he is running because "we cannot afford to have another Government mouthpiece or Kremlin acolyte" and criticised the "regressive politics" of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
The party has also confirmed it will run Limerick sociologist Niamh Hourigan in Ireland South and another candidate, widely expected to be Fergal Landy, in Midlands-North West.
Labour did not win any of Ireland's 13 MEP seats in 2019.
The European Parliament elections take place on 7 June, the same day as the local elections, with Labour confirming it has already chosen 97 candidates to run for county council and city council seats.
The figure is almost double the 55 seats held by Labour at local council level, but far below its 132-seat haul in 2009.
Labour's annual conference is taking place after Leo Varadkar revealed on Wednesday he is stepping down as Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, with party leader Ivana Bacik saying this week a new Taoiseach means a general election should take place.
Recent opinion polls have consistently suggested Labour's support is at between 3% and 4%.
