Taoiseach Leo Varakdar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin will again meet this morning in last-ditch efforts to avert a Christmas election.
Fianna Fail’s motion of no confidence in the Tanaiste is due to be debated tonight, but the party says her resignation would negate this.
The Tánaiste is defending her record, in spite of newly released emails that show she was told several times about the "aggressive stance" being taken by the Garda Commissioner's lawyers against whistleblower Maurice McCabe.
She's tweeted to say that as Justice Minister she could not interfere with the O'Higgjns Commission.
She says the Disclosures tribunal "will objectively judge the appropriateness" of her conduct.
1/2 As Justice Minister I could not interfere with the O'Higgjns Commission. This is confirmed twice in today's docs & has been confirmed by the AG.
— Frances Fitzgerald (@FitzgeraldFrncs) November 27, 2017
A trawl of correspondence at the Department of Justice has found new emails that show
Frances Fitzgerald was made aware of a garda strategy to take an "aggressive stance" towards the whistleblower Sgt. Maurice McCabe.
The correspondence in the summer of 2015 was prompted by a media query about the then garda commissioner's legal strategy at the O'Higgins Commission of Inquiry.
The emails released tonight show Justice Department officials advising the then Justice Minister that if asked about this, she could say that Sergeant McCabe was "a valued member of the force".
The new revelations come as the Taoiseach and the Fianna Fail leader continue to discuss options to avoid the Dail being dissolved due to a no confidence motion in the Tánaiste.
Juliette Gash reports:
