The Green Party leader has accused the Government of "blatant opportunism" in its recent announcements on decentralisation and one-off rural housing, which he said highlighted its willingness "to do anything to stay in power".
Addressing the party's annual convention in Galway tonight, Mr Trevor Sargent said the Government's "greedy short-sighted approaches to key policy areas" were polluting our environment and threatening future eco-systems.
"An EU report this week acknowledges the country can create wealth, but our Government is rightly slammed for the enormous gap it has increased between rich and poor, and its failure to tackle climate change and protect the environment for this and future generations."
"Therefore, how on earth can the FF/PDs claim concern for community life or the homeless or climate change.
"It is FF/PD backers who are now sitting on vast swathes of rezoned land, drip feeding houses onto the market only quick enough to ensure house prices remain impossibly high. To cap it all, Minister 'Concrete' Cullen pops up with his Rural Housing Guidelines to create huge future problems of car dependency and water pollution. His final sentence of death for proper planning is on Page 8 of his new guidelines where he declares his diktat is to supercede the Sustainable Development Strategy."
Mr Sargent said Government policy was "mortgaging our children's future and gutting our children's heritage".
Speaking on the challenge of the forthcoming local and European Parliament elections, the leader said there were seats to be won, if every party member was prepared to campaign for his or her local candidate for local authorities and for the European Parliament.
He asked delegates to contrast the "selflessness" of the "Green message" with the legacy of corruption "which is under ongoing scrutiny from highly paid legal teams in Dublin Castle".
"It inspires me to remember we are part of a worldwide movement which celebrates diversity and shares a respect for life. It inspires me to know Greens have solutions to today's problems and the policies to cope well with the challenges created by limitations of oil and gas supplies. We know how to be more community self-reliant for food, water, energy and materials. It inspires me also to remember those who bear witness to win justice, strengthen communities and bring about sustainable living, for people, wildlife and all the inter-connectedness of life," Mr Sargent told members.
Mr Sargent said the conference was being held in Galway to recognise how vital proper decentralisation is for Ireland.
"We have a vision for the West which is strong and effectively a counter-balance to the voracious concrete jungle in the East which is sucking the rest of the Ireland dry," he said.
"The Greens for years have been championing the reinstatement of the Western Rail Corridor, the harnessing of indigenous energy and other renewable resources in the West. Already 50 per cent diversion of waste from landfill is an achievement of which Galway can be especially proud."
Mr Sargent commented on the "enormous human spirit" which had "soared" in the work of Chernobyl campaigner Ms Adi Roche and her colleagues. He congratulated all concerned with the Oscar-winning documentary Chernobyl Heart.
He also paid tribute to his election organiser, Ms Eve Jenkins (47), who "tragically passed away on Wednesday".