The powder sent to Minister for Justice Alan Shatter’s house last week, accompanied with Nazi imagery, was found to be ash, ministers were told yesterday.

Government sources said the ash included in the package sent to Mr Shatter’s home was taken to have anti-Semitic undertones.

Mr Shatter has been sent suspicious packages twice in the past week, both addressed to his home in Ballinteer, Co Dublin.

The latest incident yesterday saw staff at Mr Shatter's local An Post sorting office call gardaí after powder was spotted coming out of an envelope addressed to Mr Shatter's home.

While the package was later declared a hoax, it is understood to have also contained anti-Semitic material.

However, at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, ministers were told the substance contained in last week’s package, sent with pictures of a Nazi rallies, was found to be ash.

Last week’s incident led to a security scare at Mr Shatter’s home, with the minister being kept indoors for a number of hours.

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Mr Shatter warned against the rise of anti-Semitism and said he was “particularly conscious” of intolerance and racism as a “member of a minority in this country”.