The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, has accused the Government of dishonesty and warned that it faces a "winter of discontent" when the Dáil resumes next week.
Speaking at the close of his party's strategy weekend in Rosslare, Co Wexford, Mr Sargent said the Government was experiencing such high levels of public dissatisfaction because it had "squandered the benefits of the Celtic tiger".
He called on disillusioned voters to join the Green Party "and bring honesty, equity, ecology and long-term sustainable economies into Irish politics".
Over the past year the Government had wreaked havoc, imposing indiscriminate cuts which affected the most vulnerable people in society.
"This Government's failure to take action and tackle growing levels of unemployment, shocking levels of crime, a widening gap between rich and poor, and the critical issue of climate change, are all proof that the people elected a dishonest Government," he said.
The Government promoted "flagrant lack of transparency", and recent developments at the Laffoy commission had been the most recent example of this.
"The Government has already restricted the Freedom of Information laws and appears to be in favour of increasing the limit on corporate donations," Mr Sargent said.
"There is absolutely no end to the brass neck of this Government.
"Their reputation is tarnished, and the word 'crisis' does not seem to be in their vocabulary despite the current situation in our schools and our health service in particular," he said.