The Minister for Children says it would have been inappropriate for her to brief the cabinet on her reasons for meeting Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe.
It's after emerged tonight that both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste had been told Katherine Zappone was meeting the Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe - but not the reasons why.
The Minister's spokesperson said tonight that it would have been "highly inappropriate for her to brief the cabinet on confidential, highly sensitive and personal information - which one could reasonably assume was the subject of a protected disclosure, which was leading to the establishment of the Commission".
Pressure is building on the children's minister, who knew of Tusla's role in spreading baseless allegations against McCabe up to three weeks ago, but didn't inform the rest of cabinet.
Zappone says she found out about Tusla's role in the smear campaign up to three weeks ago, and met Maurice and Lorraine McCabe to discuss it on January 18th.
She said she had "informed relevant government ministers" at the time - but declined to say who they were.
This evening in a statement Frances Fitzgerald said Zappone informed her of the meeting with the McCabes - but not of the reasons why.
A spokesman also confirmed that Enda Kenny too, was aware of the meeting but not the reasons for it.
Four cabinet sources told Today FM that Zappone did not inform cabinet of the Tusla issue, when they were discussing an inquiry into McCabe's alleged mistreatment last Tuesday.
This means that when the Cabinet discussed the terms of reference for the new Charleton Inquiry last Tuesday, Zappone was the only one aware of the Tusla issue.
Inquiry to be expanded
Government sources this evening pointed to the draft terms of reference which told Justice Peter Charleton to investigate the circumstances of a criminal allegation against McCabe allegedly being shared to journalists.
However Fitzgerald last night conceded that the terms of reference should be broadened to explicitly take in the Tusla issue - in a seeming concession that it may otherwise have been overlooked by the inquiry.
The fact that the Tusla issue was not explicitly brought to cabinet, in time to inform the discussion on the terms of reference, is likely to infuriate some ministers.
Zappone is currently outside the country - and next Tuesday's cabinet meeting is likely to be highly charged.
In her statement earlier, Zappone had also said she first found out about the Tusla issue when McCabe's wife rang the office of the Minister of Health, which passed it on.
Simon Harris told Today FM he was NOT aware of this - and only first found out about it this afternoon.
