Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has taken a sideswipe at former junior health minister Roisin Shortall after she claimed Fine Gael blocked her attempted reforms of alcohol sponsorship.

Ms Shortall also attacked her former Labour colleagues, saying their performance in Government was "embarrassing".

But she blamed Fine Gael ministers – such as Mr Varadkar, who is also the Minister for Sport, Health Minister James Reilly, Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan and Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney – for blocking her plans to tackle alcohol abuse.

Ms Shortall had proposed minimum pricing, an end to alcohol sponsorship of sports and other cultural events by 2016, and tough regulations on advertising....