Labour leader Ivana Bacik has called for left-leaning parties to come together in a combined post-general election "platform" to help strengthen their position in any potential government formation talks.
Ms Bacik outlined the plan at her party's education policy launch in Dublin but did not say when asked if any other left-leaning parties have agreed to join a platform, saying it would be a post-general election development.
"On the question of a pact or a platform for negotiating an agreement on negotiation, I've made it clear that will be after the election but certainly I've also made clear since I've become leader the lead for the left to come together.
"On the pact, on any programme, any negotiating programme, there's certainly been positive signs from other leaders. But we need to see how the election comes out, what the numbers come out after the election," she said.
Ms Bacik said Labour will "absolutely" be going into the general election with the aim of increasing Labour TD numbers, saying the party is running 30 candidates.
Asked whether her party would consider going into a coalition with Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin, she said: "It's not about propping anyone up".
Ms Bacik also said that Labour is "absolutely ready for the election whenever it's called".
"We anticipate it will be held by the end of November, and I think that's pretty much now assured," she said.
As part of the education policy launch, Labour called for schools to be barred from asking parents or guardians for voluntary contributions, saying the State should instead fill the estimated €45m funding gap.
Party MEP Aodhán Ó Riordáin outlined the plan, saying "we really need to make this an education election", at the launch of Labour's education policy in Dublin on Friday.
Speaking at the launch of the plan, Mr Ó Riordáin said the existing unofficial system of schools asking parents or guardians for financial contributions is "deeply unfair as some [schools] can have fundraisers and others can't".
He said it has previously been estimated that schools received around €45m a year in voluntary contributions across Ireland, and said that money should instead be provided by the State.
Asked if taxpayers would be okay with €45m more being spent by the State, he said: "That's a decision we have to make. But parents [may be happy] with never being asked to put their hand in their pocket [for a voluntary contribution] again."
The comment was made during the launch of Labour's education policy, which includes six key areas; the "genuine separation" of church and State in education, tackling disadvantage, making education "truly free", realising the rights of children with additional needs, providing world class schools with reduced class sized and addressing what the party said is a schools staffing crisis.
Ivana Bacik said there is a need for "a teacher staffing taskforce" to address staff shortages, saying this should include workable plans to increase teacher numbers and attempt to "speed up" Teaching Council registrations.
Ms Bacik also said if in Government her party would provide financial incentives to support schools that divest to multi-denominational patronage, phase out State supported single-sex schools within a decade, provide disadvantaged students with meals outside of school holidays, undertake an "autism audit" of all schools, and address employment casualisation, pay scales and other matters to help address what Labour said is a schools staffing crisis.
