The Fine Gael leader last night called on voters to use the local and European elections as a referendum on the current Government, saying this was the chance to reject their "arrogance" and "dishonesty".
In his opening speech to his party's ardfheis in City West last night, Mr Enda Kenny described the Coalition as "a vulgar Fianna Fáil/PD Government who have made treachery an art form".
June 11th was the first chance Ireland would have to show how "repulsed" it was by this Government, he said. Mr Kenny said the proposed citizenship referendum was a ruse by the Government "to divert attention from their own broken promises".
He said that, though he agreed with closing off "an unintended loophole in our citizenship laws", he did not agree with the timing.
His remark was seen as confirmation that if the referendum goes ahead, Fine Gael will support a Yes vote.
He listed as examples of what he said were the Taoiseach's low standards the appointment of Mr Liam Lawlor to the Oireachtas Ethics Committee, Mr Denis Foley to the Public Accounts Committee and Mr Ray Burke as Minister for Foreign Affairs. "Shame on him. Shame on his Fianna Fáil ethics. Shame on the contempt he and the Tánaiste show daily for the Irish people."
The citizens must take a stand "against the most gutless, unprincipled alliance Ireland has ever had the misfortune to see". He said the Government was presiding over a society where gangs went to war with assault rifles and machine guns, young thugs gave the finger to the rule of law, people listened to the radio to hear who had been shot rather than to hear the football results, women were shot in their beds and the Minister for Justice said that business was booming for private armies involved in assault, kidnapping and racketeering.
He accused the Minister for Education, Mr Noel Dempsey, of "commandeering the Public Service, your service, to do private political research for Fianna Fáil's private political benefit".
He said that if people wanted honest Government that would build a sound economy, a caring society and reflect high standards and integrity they should vote Fine Gael in the local and European elections.
He said he had pledged at his last party conference to work closely with other opposition parties committed to honest politics and honest government.
In recent months, he said, "Fine Gael has co-operated well in the Dáil with the Labour and Green parties on a range of issues including electronic voting and the Government's savage attack on the widows".
He was therefore urging party supporters to continue their voting preferences to those parties. "So let us build our partnership. Let us offer people choice. And let them make June 11th a citizens' referendum on the kind of Ireland they want.
"Honest government or dishonourable government. A callous Ireland or a caring Ireland. That is the choice."