Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We could get the information from the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, if he were here. I understand the Taoiseach told us earlier that he was in Galway. I find it extraordinary, given this turn of events and the fact that a senior Cabinet Minister has resigned, that the Tánaiste would not be here, but I will come back to that.

The Minister took the opportunity earlier to extol the virtues of Deputy Alan Shatter and his ministerial career. If one did not know better, listening to his contribution, one would wonder why Deputy Shatter had felt the need to resign. We know Deputy Shatter resigned yesterday not because he accepted that he had faltered or done anything wrong and not because he - or, it seems, the Taoiseach - accepted the criticisms in the Guerin report, but to save the bacon of Fine Gael and the Labour Party and prevent further damage to them in the upcoming elections.

Essentially, he made a party political decision. Former Minister, Deputy Shatter, stood and stands aloof, denying any culpability on his part. He does not accept any responsibility for the succession of debacles that have faced the policing and justice system in recent times; the appalling treatment of the whistleblowers; the appalling treatment of GSOC; the mishandling of the bugging controversy in Garda stations and the collapse in Garda morale and public confidence in the administration of justice. Why should he when the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Cabinet and Fine Gael and Labour Party backbenchers have defended his actions in this Dáil and the media.

We are told that the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, knew of these events mid-afternoon. He certainly did not know about them at lunch time. Deputy Quinn's colleague, Deputy Bruton, also did not know about these matters early yesterday morning because she was on the airwaves reiterating her confidence in former Minister, Deputy Shatter. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, must feel very exposed at this point, or does he?

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