The Social Protection Minister has accused the Fianna Fáil leader of a 'sad' and 'angry rant' in a speech at the weekend.

Leo Varadkar's comments come after Micheál Martin criticised the minister during a speech at his party’s annual Wolfe Tone commemoration.

Mr Martin accused Leo Varadkar of being "PR obsessed".

Deputy Martin accused the government of lacking the “urgency or ambition” to tackle the problems facing the country, and that Fine Gael has an "increasingly right-wing agenda".

He also claimed his party has succeeded in stopping “many of the most damaging” Fine Gael policies since agreeing to facilitate a minority government led by Enda Kenny. 

Minister Varadkar says the Fianna Fáil leader needs to inspire people as a political leader, and that the speech was "largely an angry rant at everyone - the government, Fine Gael, the British government, me personally."

Mr Martin's speech has also been criticised by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams as "political playacting and folly of the highest order".

Deputy Adams said the comments "would be justified, and indeed welcome, if they amounted to anything more than the political playacting that has become the Fianna Fáil leaders’ forte.

“The fact is the Fianna Fáil leader knows the current partnership Government, the brainchild of two right-wing, conservative parties, is not going to address the big issues of concern to citizens and he’s attempting to put distance between himself and Fine Gael," he added.