Sinn Féin has said its not going to rule out going into government with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.
Mary Lou McDonald said her party cannot solve the country's problems without getting "stuck in" and that means going into government.
Earlier People Before Profit candidate Brid Smith called on Sinn Féin to rule out a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
However Ms McDonald said "now is the moment to break that political monopoly on political power and government".
Asked if she would consider asking Sinn Féin voters to give preferences to other parties on the left she said she would leave that decision to voters' own judgment, but that their preference would be for other progressive candidates.
Ms McDonald also rejected the Fianna Fáil leader's comments that Sinn Féin was anti-EU.
She said her party had been very constructive when it comes to European affairs and that Micheál Martin has spent more time commenting on Sinn Féin than his own party.
She said it was unfortunate that he had chosen this issue to be divisive on, when she said politicians should be harmonious on the issue.
Mary Lou McDonald was speaking following a visit to the Saol addiction treatment centre in Dublin's north inner city.
She described the visit to the centre as the most uplifting part of the campaign and she used it as an opportunity to highlight Sinn Féin's policy on drugs and alcohol.
She said if in government her party would ensure that a minister with responsibility for these area sat at the cabinet table.
She also said the party would invest €12m in national strategies for drugs and alcohol.
Mary Lou McDonald also said she is looking forward to tonight's debate on Virgin Media One.
She said it wad hard to know how to prepare for a seven way debate but that she would use it as an opportunity to reflect the stories and sentiments that have been reflected to her on the campaign trail.
