The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has ended his party's Ard Fheis with a strong attack on the Government, and an appeal for a united Opposition front in June's local and European elections.
Mr Kenny claimed Fianna Fáil and the PDs were trying to fool all the people all the time in order to stay in power.
He said Fine Gael would commit itself, along with Labour and the Greens, to honest politics and honest government.
Mr Kenny also proposed measures to help first time house buyers, small business and stay at home parents, and promised a new Garda Organised Crime Unit.
Earlier at the Ard Fheis, the Government was urged to tax the super-rich, and leave the poor alone.
Social and Family Affairs spokesperson Michael Ring vowed to continue to fight recent social welfare cuts.
Fine Gael proposed a range of measures to help young people buy their own homes, including the abolition of stamp duty on second hand homes for first-time buyers.
Citizenship referendum under attack
The planned referendum on citizenship was also attacked, with delegate Brian Gillen of Rathmines in Dublin, saying Fianna Fáil had never had a problem with the sale of passports to foreign investors.
Defence spokesperson Dinny McGinley said Ireland could not defend itself against a terrorist attack, and would have to ask for help from Britain or other neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, Gay Mitchell, the candidate in Dublin, defended the capital against its detractors, saying he wanted to see decentralisation in a planned way - not carried out for the benefit of ministers' constituencies.
Govt called on to publish disability bill
The Government was challenged to immediately publish the long-awaited Disability Bill.
Fine Gael TD David Stanton told the party's Ard Fheis that he had been told the Bill was ready but that it was not going to be published before the local and European elections, because it fell far short of what was needed.
