Howlin: Govt is 'dysfunctional and divided'

The Labour Party has said that although Brian Cowen may have survived as Leader of Fianna Fáil - events of the past week "have removed any remaining shred of credibility" that the Government had.

Fianna Fáil will today begin picking up the pieces after a bruising leadership challenge which saw Mr Cowen survive as leader, and Micheál Martin resign as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The opposition party said: "It is clear that the Taoiseach no longer enjoys the confidence of a significant number of his party members and has now lost the services of one of his most senior ministers."

Labour TD Brendan Howlin said: "The country needs a government that works, that can get the country back to work and that will put our people back to work."

Mr Howlin has described the Government as "discredited, dysfunctional and now divided" and said the longer it clings to power, the more damage it will do to the prospect of national recovery.