Minister for Social Protection and future Fine Gael leadership contender Leo Varadkar has launched a scathing attack on Fianna Fáil, accusing the party of being irresponsible in Opposition and willing to say anything to get back into power.

He made the comments at two separate Fine Gael fundraising events in recent days, including one yesterday for Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.

They mark an escalation in the public quarrelling between Mr Varadkar and Fianna Fáil, with Micheál Martin last weekend accusing Mr Varadkar of being “PR obsessed” during his tenure as minister for health.

Mr Varadkar spoke at Mr Donohoe's lunchtime fundraiser in the Gibson Hotel, Dublin, yesterday and at a similar event in Kilkenny on Thursday night for the local party organisation and constituency TDs John Paul Phelan and Pat Deering, who have both publicly questioned Taoiseach Enda Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael.

Speaking to KCLR radio afterwards, Mr Varadkar was asked about his leadership ambitions. He said there was no vacancy, praised Mr Kenny for doing a good job, and said the Taoiseach had his full support.

‘Cynical strategy’

The Minister said he didn't consider that he was doing a good job unless he was personally attacked by Mr Martin and accused Fianna Fáil of using a "very cynical strategy", including attempting to box Fine Gael in on budget negotiations.

“What they wanted to do was they wanted them to be in a position where they can take the credit for an increase in the pension and we would then get the blame for doing nothing at all for other groups, such as disabled and carers and others”.

Mr Varadkar said Fine Gael had outmanoeuvred Fianna Fáil by giving all those groups increased welfare payments.

“What they want to do is to be in Opposition and in Government at the same time,” he said of Fianna Fáil. “Having perfected irresponsibility in government, it seems they now wish to perfect it in Opposition too.”

He also claimed that while Fine Gael and Sinn Féin held fundamentally different views, Fianna Fáil had no vision at all.

“Our clashes with Fianna Fáil are very different because Fianna Fáil doesn’t really have any clear vision for the future.

“It seems to me that Fianna Fáil can always be counted on to do the right thing, but only after they have tried just about everything else first.

“The key difference between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin is that Fianna Fáil would say pretty much anything to get back into power . . . Sinn Féin would do almost anything.”

He also said Mr Martin was “unbelievably easy to wind up” and said because he was “amongst friends” he would quote the positions of the “great man” on water charges.