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.

Two civilian members of the gardaí have directly contradicted formal evidence by Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan, insisting she knew about the Garda college financial scandal a month earlier than previously claimed.

The frontrunners to replace Enda Kenny as Taoiseach have failed to disclose whether they would retain Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in the Cabinet.

State financial watchdog the C&AG should open an immediate investigation into the Garda college scandal as its findings could be used to begin a criminal investigation into gardaí responsible for what happened.