Government on its last legs, says Quinn

Opposition parties have been marking the Government's fourth year in office by highlighting what they say are the Coalition's failures.

Fine Gael said the Government's time in office had been "marred by a litany of u-turns, broken promises, failures and lapses of leadership".

It said: "Recent months have been characterised by a succession of splits, back-biting and disarray."

Fine Gael's deputy leader Mr Jim Mitchell said he did not believe the Government could survive another 12 months. He said: "I can see why they want to defer an election. It is because they fear the electorate."

Labour leader Mr Ruairí Quinn said: "We have the worst of all worlds - a bad government in good times."

He said: "The signs are everywhere. We have a health service that is divided and doesn't function. We have traffic chaos. House prices have doubled in the four years since this Government has taken office and we have had no leadership from the Taoiseach."

Mr Quinn said: "The Government is on its last legs. The longer it hangs on the worse it will get. Its supporters are already on exit strategy mode. In all our interests it should go now."

The Labour leader lit a birthday cake and unveiled a poster outside the Dáil highlighting four problems which he laid at the Government's door - the housing crisis, an ailing health service, traffic chaos and zero leadership.

But Government TDs came to the defence of the Coalition highlighting its record on the economy and on reducing unemployment.