The Department of Justice has denied claims that it convinced Martin Callinan NOT to withdraw his remarks about the two Garda whistleblowers.

It's disputing reports that officials advised the former Garda commissioner against withdrawing the remarks.

Last weekend Martin Callinan had been preparing to withdraw his remarks describing the actions of the Garda whistleblowers as 'disgusting'.

But it was reported this afternoon that the Commissioner had only decided not to do so based on advice from the Department of Justice.

In a response this evening the Department says the decision of withdrawing the remarks was, at all times, a matter for Mr Callinan himself.

It acknowledges that there were discussions about the possibility of a further statement from Mr Callinan on the issue - but it says there was no suggestion from the Department that this prospect should be ruled out.

It says the discussions were then overtaken by 'subsequent events'.

But it's impossible to say to how the discussions might have influenced Martin Callinan's eventual decision not to withdraw the remarks.

The Department's statement also doesn't mention reports that Mr Callinan spoke to the chief civil servant of the Department of Justice again on Tuesday morning, just before his resignation.

This evening the government's concerns are instead focussed on other issues: ministers have confirmed the impact of the Garda tapes may stretch as far as the outcomes of major tribunals.