The Social Democrats party was founded in July when three prominent Independent TDs joined forces.
All three, Catherine Murphy, Róisín Shotall and Stephen Donnelly, carry the title of party leader. Former Labour Party Senator James Heffernan is also a founding member.
The party wants to abolish water charges but to otherwise generally maintain the current tax base and to improve public services. Large scale tax cuts will lead to another economic crash the party has warned.
The Social Democrats have not ruled out forming a coalition with any party after the election.
Leaders' profiles: Catherine Murphy appears to have finally found her true home in the Social Democrats after more than 30 years of left-leaning politics, while Róisín Shortall is an experienced politician who has served on both Government and Opposition benches, and Stephen Donnelly brought a fresh voice and vision to the Dáil. Read the full profiles here.
By Mícheál Lehane, RTÉ Political Staff
