Tánaiste Micheál Martin said there is "huge incompatibility" between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin after he was asked about the chances of a coalition between the two parties.
Mr Martin said there would be a number of barriers to his party entering government with Sinn Féin, including how legacy issues are discussed.
He also accused the media of cheerleading for Sinn Féin.
Speaking at his party's think-in in Co Tipperary, Mr Martin said right now the policies of the two parties wouldn't be compatible.
“They still try to triumphalise it [the IRA], they still try to justify it. The problem with that is that you’re infecting a new generation of young people.
"We need to take all of that out of our politics and move on. If we expect others to do it, we have to expect Sinn Féin to do that. They're not doing it, in fact they're doubling down, and that's the view I have."
He added: “There’s a huge incompatibility, the most important one in my view being the enterprise economy, which I believe Sinn Féin would undermine. If any headwinds came at all, economically, Sinn Féin would reach for the tax weapon as the way out of a crisis. I think they’re anti-enterprise.”
