The new Labour leader Alan Kelly has said it's 'up to other parties' to form a new government.
Deputy Kelly was last night confirmed as Brendan Howlin's successor following a leadership contest against Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.
His election comes shortly after the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will likely soon be approaching smaller parties - including Labour - about the prospect of forming a government.
Labour has previously ruled out the prospect of playing a part in the next government - and in a statement today the new party leader reiterated that stance.
Deputy Kelly said Ireland had 'changed utterly' from when the leadership contest began as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
He said: “We are living in very uncertain times and all signs are showing that we are going to have to have a very different type of politics in order to cope with and recover from the social and economic devastation caused by COVID-19.
“In this time of crisis Labour will offer constructive support for the national effort as we have done in over the few weeks.
"As Leader I will of course continue to engage with all parties but when it comes to forming a government we have been very clear since the General Election, that it is up to other parties to take their responsibilities seriously and it is up to them to form a stable government."
He suggested some parties "are more interested in playing politics" than solving the current crisis.
Elsewhere, he paid tribute to Deputy Ó Ríordáin - saying the Dublin Bay North TD brings 'something special' to the party.
Deputy Kelly said: "I know that we will be uniting now in working together to bring us forward and do what is right for the country.
“I also want to thank Brendan Howlin for his for his selfless commitment to the Labour Party across four decades.
"He has been a pillar of strength to the Party and the country through his public service and I know he will continue to serve the country in the years ahead."
The new leader also welcomed the election of five new Labour senators to the Seanad this week, saying their Oireachtas team has 'nearly doubled' as a result.
He said he believes the party has a "bright future but it’s not something we can take for granted".
