The cost of funding public tribunals and commissions of inquiry into wrongdoing by state agencies and individuals will reach close to €500m by the end of this year.

Following a series of high-profile scandals, the Department of Justice has become the new ‘Angola’ writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell

Two whistleblowers, one story, but very different versions to the point of being irreconcilable, writes Michael Clifford.

Sgt Maurice McCabe said the Garda culture makes it “extremely hard to speak out” and said that those who do are “certainly isolated and alone”.

The chairman of the Disclosures Tribunal said he would have to consider if there was any evidence of a “dark truth” that the former garda commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan or other senior officers were “going after” Sgt McCabe at the O’Higgins Commission.

The Disclosures Tribunal has heard that two diaries contradict the recollection of John Barrett about a comment made to "go after" Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins Commission.

Former Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald made a “conscious decision” not to interfere in the legal strategy being put forward at the O’Higgins Commission after receiving an email about it, the Disclosures Tribunal has heard.

Former justice minister Frances Fitzgerald received a hard copy of an email which detailed the legal strategy being taken by An Garda Síochána against whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe, the Disclosures Tribunal has heard.

The Disclosures Tribunal, it would appear, may have been established because of a clerical error.

There was another apology for Maurice McCabe yesterday for another misunderstanding, another error which cast him in a nefarious light.

Your lunchtime news bulletin.

Former Garda chief describes political and media ‘vortex’ after character attack strategy was revealed

Your lunchtime news bulletin.

The Disclosures Tribunal is examining attempts to cast aspersions on Sgt McCabe’s motives, writes Michael Clifford

An attempt to introduce the Garda handling of an historic abuse allegation made against whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins Commission was made solely for the purpose of embarrassing the sergeant, the Charleton Tribunal has been told.

Maurice McCabe tried to have details of the DPP’s decision not to prosecute him on a sexual assault complaint released to colleagues and family of the complainant in order to clear his name but senior gardaí refused to support his efforts.

Former Garda commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan called the Department of Justice twice in one day to discuss a strategy to discredit whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins Commission set up to investigate his allegations of corruption and malpractice in the force.

Former Tánaiste and justice minister Frances Fitzgerald “made a mistake” in her handling of the Maurice McCabe email saga and she made the right decision to resign, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe believes.

The Taoiseach has been accused of being arrogant and dismissive by the Fianna Fáil leader, who has said he will not be giving him a blank cheque to lead.

In July 2015, the following was the official line to be conveyed to the media by the minister for justice about the status of Sgt Maurice McCabe.

The treatment of Maurice McCabe should have rung alarm bells for Frances Fitzgerald, says Michael Clifford.

A radical break-up of the Department of Justice into two has formed the basis of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s offering to Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin in a bid to avoid a general election.

Frances Fitzgerald’s 2015 dilemma must be seen in context of the forces of the State lined up against McCabe, but should she have questioned why he was targeted, asks Michael Clifford

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald has cut an isolated figure in the Dáil this week, but nonetheless came out fighting for her future, writes Caroline O’Doherty

The curious tale of when Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald became aware of a legal smear campaign against Sgt Maurice McCabe has seen twists, turns and contradictions, but still lacks full clarification.

You know how it feels when you have to carry the can for someone else’s mistake.

Students of European political history might be familiar with the infamous l’affaire Dreyfus, otherwise known as the Dreyfus affair.

The Taoiseach has dismissed calls for the Tánaiste’s resignation amid fresh controversies over the treatment of Garda whisleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.

She is either the least curious justice minister in the history of the post or else she is smart enough to know when not to ask a question if you don’t want to know the answer.

It took the Department of Justice and the Tánaiste four days to tell the Taoiseach about an email which revealed efforts by gardaí to discredit Sergeant Maurice McCabe at an inquiry.

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald is fighting for her political life as the Government’s handling of garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe has yet again engulfed the coalition in controversy.

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald is under fresh pressure to explain why she only learned of the strategy to undermine Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe a year after his cross-examination at a state commission in 2015.

Just what are Charlie Flanagan and Frances Fitzgerald playing at?

Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald has refused to say if she was aware of a plan to attack the character of Garda whistle-blower Maurice McCabe when she was minister for justice.

A member of Garda management told the force’s head of human resources, John Barrett, that there would be an attempt to target Sgt Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins Commission, according to documents submitted to the Charleton Tribunal.

Here's your morning news bulletin.

Michael Clifford explains how false allegations against Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe threatened to undermine public trust in the institutions of the State

The new ‘root and branch’ review will review similar issues over and over again but its success will not be judged on the production of another report but the implementation of its recommendations, says Cormac O’Keeffe.

The tribunal hasn’t even started hearing evidence yet but the McCabe letter puts the Commissioner on very shaky ground, writes Cormac O’Keeffe.

Lawyers acting for Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe have written to the minister for justice demanding that Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan be removed from her post for the duration of the Disclosure Tribunal.

The Taoiseach may claim he saved Ireland from recession, but 10 commissions, inquiries, and tribunals tell a different tale, writes Political Correspondent Fiachra Ó Cionnaith

While there is a high degree of acceptance of journalistic privilege by the courts, Judge Peter Charleton has questioned whether it extends to sources with malicious motivations, writes Dan Buckley

There are important differences in the various methods of investigation, writes Juno McEnroe

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, no less, has broached the possibility of a criminal investigation resulting from the report of the Charleton commission.

The events of recent days have thrown into sharp relief an earlier alleged attempt to smear Sgt Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins commisison.

From January 2006 to present, we look back at the key moments in the Maurice McCabe whistleblower crisis.

The crisis facing the Government over its handling of false allegations of child sex abuse against Sgt Maurice McCabe is set to deepen as Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin meets the whistleblower today.

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan has repeatedly denied knowledge of issues at the heart of the whistleblower scandal.