Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has warned the Government may not see out its full term to 2016, unless urgent action is taken on policy.

Minister Rabbitte said he believed the Government had gone as far as it could in terms of cuts and taxes.

He warned that unless the Government got a firm grip of the political agenda, he would be fearful of the chances of seeing 2016 as a Government.

In an interview with the Sunday Independent, Pat Rabbitte warned the Coalition would not last its full term if the "current drift" of the last three months were allowed to continue.

He said: "The Government has to put a coherent plan together. There has been drift, the issues affecting Justice went on far too long".

He said the coalition parties needed to meet behind closed doors and settle on a "programme of renewal".