Editorial: Bye Biffo, it really is time to go

THE people of Ireland have lost confidence in the current Government. The devastation of our national finances caused by the implosion of the Irish banking system has left this current administration bereft of support.

The arrival of the suits from the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank underlined the gravity of the crisis and has dealt a powerful blow to the credibility of Cowen and co.

If the Government was already finished -- and it has been clear for some time that its has lost confidence and trust, then the entire way it went about grappling with this financial typhoon has put a final nail in its coffin.

This Government is too badly damaged to garner the support required to face the enormous challenges ahead. A general election is now needed to clear the way ahead. And the sooner, the better. It is time for a fresh start.