The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said in the Dail that the Government was characterised by followership rather than leadership.
Speaking after the Taoiseach announced his ministerial changes, Mr Bruton declared: "The Government follows public opinion. It does not lead it.
"There are three areas where the Government is falling down. It is falling down on the drugs issue and on related crime matters. It is falling down on the health service. And it is falling down in regard to traffic."
There were now 13,000 heroin addicts in the State, 1,000 more than a year ago, he said. "People fall victim to the pushers of heroin because they are leading dead-end lives. They are leading dead-end lives because the educational and training system has failed them, because their parents have failed them, or because they have been born in the wrong place."
Mr Bruton said that the health service epitomised the two-tier society which existed in Ireland.
"This Government has been unwilling to tackle the vital issues of the reorganisation of medical manpower in the hospitals. The patients' charter is being ignored in our biggest hospitals. The casualty departments are full, because the Government has been unwilling to make decisions, unwilling to govern."
The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said ail that a vision of what the State could contribute to the construction of the European project would be expected from Mr Cowen. The Taoiseach, he added, could have moved a few more ministers.
"Why has the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform not been moved? Why has a most outrageous deterioration in social values been presided over by a man whose administrative acts cover us in shame?"
Mr John Gormley (Green Party, Dublin South East) said that the gap between rich and poor had increased, and would continue to increase, under the Government.