A new row has broken out between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil - over when the government found out about Tusla's role in the Maurice McCabe affair.

Micheal Martin claims his party told the Tánaiste about Tusla's role on Wednesday, 24 hours before it first emerged in the media.

But Frances Fitzgerald has again tonight insisted she wasn't told of Tusla's role, in the meeting with Fianna Fáil's Jim O'Callaghan on Wednesday night.

The Tanaiste insists she only learned of Tusla's role in the scandal in media reports 24 hours later - despite being aware of a meeting between McCabe and the children's minister Katherine Zappone two weeks earlier.

Elsewhere, Fianna Fail has confirmed that it will abstain on a motion of no confidence in the Government, this week.

The party says it will be seeking further clarification from the Taoiseach on the handling of the Garda whistleblower controversy.

But Fianna Fail TD Dara Calleary described Sinn Fein's motion as 'political game-playing':