Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams TD has said Irish people "desperately need" a government that is not lead by Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

Speaking on Tuesday on the anniversary of the execution of James Connolly, at the Connolly memorial opposite Liberty Hall in Dublin, Mr Adams said low and middle-income earners had been "severely penalised" by Fine Gael and Labour.

“Citizens desperately need, for the first time ever in this State, a government that is neither led by Fine Gael nor by Fianna Fáil,” he said.

“More than that, they need a progressive government that will pursue real and viable alternative policies based on equality not austerity, rights not privilege - and that will govern in the interests of the people and not the elites.”

‘Oppose austerity’

Commenting on last week’s Westminster election results, the Sinn Féin leader said his party would “actively oppose austerity, no matter if it’s from a Tory government in London or a Fine Gael/Labour Party government in Dublin”.

He committed Sinn Féin in government in the Republic to abolishing the property tax and water charges; reforming the Universal Social Charge to ease the burden on lower earners, and increasing employers’ PRSI to address the deficit in the Social Insurance Fund.

He said the party would introduce a wealth tax to generate funds for investment in job creation.