Fianna Fáil leader Míchéal Martin has accused the Government of "fake anger" in its criticisim of comments made by Department of Finance secretary general John Moran about the unnaturally low level of house repossessions.

Mr Martin said Government sources using Mr Moran as a scapegoat when he was merely repeating Government policy.

“I find it an extraordinary situation when Government ministers have sought to hang out to dry the secretary general of the Department of Finance when in essence he was articulating Government policy when he said that legislation would be coming in to accelerate the repossession of family homes,” he said.

“Now we have to witness fake anger from Government ministers, principally because we are on the eve of a by-election. They know this is a very significant issue. They hvae failed in terms of helping people who are in mortgage arrears. They have allowed the banks to control the agenda over the last two years. “

Mr Martin said this was “an extraordinary set of affairs and I really would condemn the approach of the Government to this.”

He was speaking at a conference on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, organised by Fianna Fáil in Dublin this morning. Its agriculture spokesman Éamon Ó Cuív said the conference was calledto give farmers a chance to express their views on the negotiations on CAP reform.