In a country where political resignation is more a state of mind rather than an occasionally used sometimes even an honourable bookend to a discredited political career these are indeed seismic, almost GUBU II weeks in political and public life.

The justice minister said it was “unfortunate” that his department officials did not inform him of a letter relating to the recording of phone calls at Garda stations until two weeks after they received it.

IF the justice minister had given a more credible and more contrite explanation to the Dáil yesterday morning on his handling of information surrounding telephone recordings in Garda stations, then he might have retrieved some of his lost political capital.

The Garda Ombudsman has appealed for information from the public after a man was found unconscious in a cell in a Garda station today.