Enda Kenny today urged Taoiseach Brian Cowen to join forces with the Opposition to deal with the economic crisis.
The Fine Gael leader said the time had come for "putting minds together" so stark was the scale of looming joblessness.
Urging a new spirit of cross-party partnership, Mr Kenny asked for a formal meeting between his front bench and Government ministers on a Fine Gael plan to create jobs.
"In a spirit of meeting the national crisis in terms of jobs, could I ask you to have your ministers meet with a delegation from the Fine Gael party and the officials from the departments involved," he said.
Fine Gael believes its plan for investment in the areas of water, energy and broadband could create 100,000 jobs in the next four to five years.
The improved infrastructure would also attract further investment into the country, the party claims.
Mr Kenny insisted it was a serious plan and pleaded for a formal meeting between the Government and his party to go through the proposals, the costings and their merits.
"That's what the people on the street want," he said.
"They want to have hope and confidence and a belief that somebody in here can point a way forward towards job creation." Mr Cowen insisted he didn't believe in petty partisan politics in relation to the crisis and vowed to examine the plan.
But he stopped short of agreeing to any formal talks between the parties about the proposals.
"I think the best thing for me to do is give you my considered response on behalf of the Government to that documentation," he said.
"I'll do that in good faith on the basis that you are making a proposal that is a serious attempt to show the people that every effort will be made by this house to address the issues before us in a constructive way as possible."
PA