FINE Gael leader Enda Kenny has been forced to re-state his party's opposition to entering a coalition with Sinn Féin after previously indicating his party may be open to such a move.
A statement from the taoiseach on Saturday said his party's position "is, has been and will remain" not to partner Sinn Fèin in government.
At a media briefing in Dublin on Thursday Mr Kenny had been less clear cut, fuelling speculation of a Fine Gael policy U-turn.
However, as senior party colleagues began distancing themselves from the taoiseach's remarks, he was forced into a embarrassing clarification.
"As I have stated many times previously I don't believe the parties to be in anyway compatible, in particular on economic issues where Sinn Féin policy would lead to massive job losses and seriously undermine business and investment," the Fine Gael leader said.
Ahead of the taoiseach's clarification, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams had said there was no possibility of his party "propping up the type of policies" for which Mr Kenny was responsible.
Amid speculation of a leadership challenge in Fine Gael, he added that that whatever was happening was a matter for that party.
"This partnership of Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin has delivered the highest levels of homelessness in the history of the state; new horror stories emerge out of the health system on a daily basis and we have a government that is not only wholly unprepared for Brexit but has no idea how to prepare," the Louth TD told RTE.
Among those Fine Gael representatives who were cool in their response to Mr Kenny's initial remarks were Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor, who said there was no way Fine Gael would ever enter into coalition with Sinn Féin.
"Sinn Féin have a lot of questions to answer, politically, what they have done in the past. And for me looking at it from inside the ministry for jobs, enterprise and innovation, but especially enterprise, I do not believe that their policies on finance are coherent," she said.
"We couldn't work with them."
Mr Kenny will hope his clear statement will put a stop to questions about his leadership but matters will not be helped by the latest opinion poll showing an increase in support for Fianna Fáil
According to the Sunday Business Post/REDC opinion survey, Fianna Fáil was up three points to stand at 27 per cent compared to last month.
Support for Fine Gael was down one point to 24 per cent and the Independent Alliance also dropped a point to stand at 3 per cent.
Sinn Féin also dropped two points to stand at 14 per cent.
