Taoiseach Brian Cowen told the Dáil today that it was undemocratic to suggest that the Government no longer had authority following the results of the local and European elections.
Opening the debate of confidence in the Government which was sparked by the dismal election results for both Government parties Mr Cowen said it was disingenuous of the Opposition to say the coalition no longer had the authority to govern.
"For so long as there is a majority in this House who support it, the Government has valid authority, as in the case of any other Government," said Mr Cowen.
Acknowledging that the policies being pursued by the Government were not popular he said that there was not choice but to taxes and to make savings in expenditure.
"A Government would be in dereliction of its duty were it not to take whatever measures are necessary to bring about a sustainable path for our public finances. We do that not because we are aligned to any particular economic ideological philosophy but because it is fundamental to the recovery of this country. The one lesson of our economic history, if we are not to repeat the 1980s experience, is not to postpone those decisions," said Mr Cowen.
He added that the proposals brought forward by the Government to deal with the country's problems since last May had been opposed by Fine Gael and Labour.
"On the one hand Fine Gael is suggesting we should be spending less, the Labour Party is on the other hand suggesting we should be spending more. At the end of the day, we have brought forward a plan. We have brought forward proposals as to how we are going to get out of this problem," he said.
Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, said that the Government had no mandate or authority to continue to govern because the people have rejected it. He added that as members of the national Parliament they had a duty to listen and respond to the clear verdict of the people.
"Almost three quarters of the Irish people, by their decision last Friday, cast a verdict of no confidence in the Taoiseach and his Government to sort out the problems of the country. It was an historic day in many ways because it broke the dominance of the Fianna Fáil Party in Irish politics for the first time in 77 years and made this party, which I have the honour to lead, the largest party in all three elections.
"The voters responded to a call that we have been making for quite some time. In the streets and homes of Ireland people want change; they are fed up with a Government that has neither listened nor led and which has not been able to deal with the problems that the country now faces. From that perspective, they have given a vote of confidence to the one party that has put forward a series of progressive proposals," said Mr Kenny.
"I put it to the Taoiseach that if he has any respect for the Irish people, who he leads politically, he will accept that following Friday's disaster for his Government, including his Green Party colleagues, he has no mandate or authority to continue in government and that he and his colleagues are deluding themselves if they believe they are losing support because they have faced tough decisions," he said.
Labour leader, Eamon Gilmore, asked how the Dáil could vote confidence in Fianna Fail when the people had voted against the party.
"The verdict of the people is clear. They do not have confidence in Fianna Fáil and the Greens, and they want them out of Government.
"The essence of democracy is Government of the people, for the people, by the people. It is Government, with the consent of the Governed. Yet, it is amply clear, from the results of last week's vote, that this Fianna Fáil government does not now have the consent of the governed," said Mr Gilmore.
"He should to announce to this House his intention to resign from Government, to go to Áras an Úachtaráin, seek a dissolution of the Dáil and let us have a general election so the people of the country - not the Members of this House who were elected two years ago in entirely different economic and political circumstances - can decide who should be governing this country in the difficult years ahead," added Mr Gilmore.
The debate continues today and tomorrow.
The cabinet met this morning amid media reports that Taoiseach Brian Cowen was preparing to carry out a reshuffle, and other news that Independent TD Michael Lowry, who supports the Government, had sought a meeting with Mr Cowen. A Government spokesman confirmed that a meeting had been sought by Mr Lowry but that it had not yet taken place.
Mr Kenny has led Fine Gael to its first-ever victory over Fianna Fáil in a national election, with his party winning a greater share of the vote in both the local and European elections. Fine Gael won about 120 more council seats than Fianna Fáil in the local elections, making it by far the biggest party in local government.
With the election of Alan Kelly in Ireland South, Labour won three seats in the European Parliament - the same number as Fianna Fáil. Fine Gael won four seats in Europe.
Fine Gael's George Lee and Independent candidate Maureen O'Sullivan were present in the Dáil today for the first time since their respective byelection victories in Dublin South and Dublin Central.
