The Labour leader says he would not have had confidence in the former Garda Commissioner, if he knew he was looking to undermine Maurice McCabe.

Former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan is under mounting pressure to explain why he said whistle-blower Maurice McCabe “could not be trusted” during a secret meeting with ex- Public Accounts Committee chair John McGuinness.

John McGuinness, the former chairman of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee, has rejected criticisms of his decision to only reveal, last week, his secret meeting with ex-garda commissioner Martin Callinan.

The Garda Commissioner has said she was not aware of any private meeting between her predecessor Martin Callinan and TD John McGuiness.

Sinn Féin has wound up pressure on justice chiefs to explain why a former Garda commissioner secretly met the head of a parliamentary watchdog over whistle-blower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

The former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan and his replacement, Nóirín O’Sullivan, must give a “full statement” to explain why a secret 2014 meeting in a car park to discredit whistle-blower Maurice McCabe took place.

A current and former Garda commissioner have been called on to clarify what stories were spread about whistle-blower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

The Government Chief Whip Regina Doherty has moved to defend Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan, saying Fine Gael and the Taoiseach had full confidence in her.

Former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan met the then Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman John McGuinness in secret in 2014 to say that Sergeant Maurice McCabe was “not to be trusted”.

The Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan may yet be asked to answer questions in public about the O’Higgins Commission and the treatment of whistleblowers.

The Policing Authority has expressed 'deep unease at the organisation and management culture' in the Garda Síochána.

The Government has been urged to set up a new judge-led inquiry into allegations that "rogue" officers were unofficially running criminals as informants.

The Garda Ombudsman is to investigate claims two senior officers misrepresented a 2008 meeting with whistle-blower Maurice McCabe to the O’Higgins commission by alleging he was motivated by malice.

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan has denied her legal team was instructed to “impugn the integrity” of whistleblower Maurice McCabe or to claim he was acting maliciously.

WHILE yesterday’s statement on the O’Higgins Report from Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan accepts that the gardaí have “inescapable lessons” to learn based on their shortcomings in critical areas including their dealings with whistleblowers, it has failed to clear the air on the controversy surrounding apparently contradictory references to Sgt Maurice McCabe.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has corrected the Dail record today in relation to the resignation of former Justice Minister Alan Shatter in 2014 writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor.

The position of Garda Commissioner Noirin O Sullivan is untenable, despite today’s detailed statement denying any wrongdoing by her or her legal team, Sinn Fein claimed today.

Under-pressure garda commissioner Noirin O Sullivan has denied her legal team was instructed to "impugn the integrity" of whistle-blower Maurice McCabe or to claim he was acting maliciously, writes Fiachra Ó Cionnaith, Political Reporter.

Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has restated her belief that Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan will clarify her instructions to her legal team as how to deal with whistleblower Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins Commission.

Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has re-stated her belief that Garda Commissioner Noirín O'Sullivan will clarify her instructions to her legal team as how to deal with whistleblower Maurice McCabe at the O'Higgins Commission, write Daniel McConnell and Cormac O'Keeffe.

There are growing signs the expected statement from the Garda commissioner over the O’Higgins transcripts is awaiting a “political” green light.

These days there would be precious few judges who would instinctively protect An Garda Síochána from scrutiny. Whether or not the same open, robust approach would inform big decisions that would have major repercussions for the executive is a matter of conjecture, writes Michael Clifford.

The Garda Commissioner is expected to issue a statement as early as today in a bid to quell controversy over her directions to lawyers over Sergeant Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins inquiry.

The selective leaking of the O’Higgins report and the attempt to sully the character of Garda Maurice McCabe are typical examples of whistleblower reprisal, a backlash against the character, reputation, and livelihood of those who speak out, says Tom Clonan

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan was last night refusing to heed calls from Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald to clarify her attempted undermining of Garda whistle-blower, Maurice McCabe.

It has understood that the Department of Justice is to establish a statutory inquiry into allegations of Garda misconduct made by a former head of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association.

A legal expert has cast doubt on Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald’s claim that she is precluded from discussing the instruction given by Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan to her legal team during the O’Higgins Commission.

If you're wondering how we got to where we are now, Michael Clifford breaksdown the main points from the continuing controversy surrounding the Garda Commissioner, whistleblower Maurice McCabe and the O’Higgins report

The ball is squarely back in Nóirín O’Sullivan’s court — Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald firmly knocked it there yesterday.

Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said Garda commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan will seek to clarify attempts by her legal team to discredit whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.

If the Garda Commissioner knew a false case was going to be made against Garda McCabe her position is untenable. If she didn’t, she still has questions to answer, writes Michael Clifford    

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has insisted he still has "100% support" for under-fire Garda Commissioner Noirín O'Sullivan - despite growing calls for her to step down over the O'Higgins report controversy, writes Fiachra Ó Cionnaith, Political Reporter in Washington DC.

Latest: Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said that he has confidence in the Garda Commissioner and is not "looking for her head".

The Tánaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said she expects the Garda Commissioner to clarify the instructions that were given to her legal team.

The Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald has ruled out asking the Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan to reveal details of her dealings with her own legal team.

There is an “immediate crisis of trust and confidence” in the Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O’Sullivan, who has been called to resign her position by Opposition TDs.

There was a campaign to undermine Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe which made its way to the O’Higgins commission, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has claimed in the Dáil.

Update 10.48am: Health Minister Simon Harris said today that Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan had clearly supported whistleblower Sgt. Maurice McCabe.

Sergeant Maurice McCabe threatened to bring a High Court action to injunct the O’Higgins report after receiving a draft copy that made no mention of the attempt to attribute to him a motive of malice for raising his concerns about garda malpractice.

A Garda staff association has said it is “a matter for the Garda commissioner” to clarify any “murkiness” over claims made to the O’Higgins inquiry by her lawyers that Sergeant Maurice McCabe was motivated by “malice”.