The Taoiseach's refusal to make difficult decisions has led to the current problems with housing, traffic and reduced quality of life, the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, has told a party conference.
"We have an administration, but not a government. You have the sense that no one is really in charge in Government Buildings. The present Taoiseach does not take charge, does not take responsibility and does not make decisions," Mr Bruton told the conference for the greater Dublin region.
He said there were "23 different bodies and agencies dealing with traffic in Dublin, a sure guarantee that nothing will happen", he said.
Fine Gael would liberalise public transport, bringing in private bus companies on scheduled routes, issuing more taxi licences and building more cities to relieve the strain on Dublin". He said Aer Lingus should be privatised.
The other major cause of stress in people's lives was the cost of housing. "Soaring house prices mean that both mother and father of young children have no option but to work outside the home. Economic freedom for women is being replaced by the tyranny of the mortgage," he said.
Couples were leaving home earlier, returning later, and not having enough time to spend with their children, which reduced the quality of their lives, he said.
The party would recruit more planners, have more fast-track projects, open much more of the economy to competition, set up a national water authority and treble local-authority housing output.
Mr Bruton said the party would shortly publish a revised version of its Plan for the Nation, an alternative to the Government's National Development Plan. It would contain new proposals for transport, housing and childcare.
He said discussions were continuing with the Dun Laoghaire senator, Mr Liam Cosgrave, who was criticised in an internal party report on planning in the Dublin region.
Mr Bruton expected the party to increase its number of seats in the Dublin region in the next general election from 12 to 15.
For the next election, Fine Gael would have a series of campaigns on quality-of-life issues. Fine Gael was, in financial terms, "the stock to buy because it is currently undervalued".
On the possibility of alliances with other parties, he said: "We have always been open to pre and post-election alliances. It's up to the other parties. They know the best guarantee of a change in government is to go with Fine Gael".
Mr Bruton also promised to revise the "monstrous folly" of the National Stadium, putting its £1 billion cost into sports facilities for local clubs instead.