The Government’s chief lawyer, Attorney General Máire Whelan, was accused of being “panicked, alarmist, and over-reactive” when she raised concerns over the recording of phone calls in Garda stations, the Dáil heard yesterday.

The first time Garda whistle-blower Sergeant Maurice McCabe’s concerns of serious malpractice and alleged cover-ups in the force gained public attention, former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan retired after a late-night knock on the door, writes Fiachra Ó Cionnaith.

It sounds impressive to appoint an international expert to examine how we do things here — particularly when we continue to be hit with policing and justice controversies and scandals.

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 chief executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) strongly rejected suggestions that he “went looking for the head” of the former president of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

A senior government official has controversially claimed potential candidates for top-level jobs are being frightened away because of the level of scrutiny they will be subjected to by the media and Dáil committees.

The introduction of a tax credit for entrepreneurs was welcomed in the wake of the budget as a first step in putting the self-employed on an equal tax footing as PAYE workers. 

Enda Kenny should have faced an Oireachtas committee over the Callinan scandal, writes Michael Clifford

Enda Kenny listed the key findings of the Fennelly Report in the Dáil yesterday but questions remain about the whole affair, writes Cormac O’Keeffe

Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s role in the departure of Garda commissioner Martin Callinan was “at the very least, improper” and paid “scant regard” to legal and political norms, says a legal expert.

Races yesterday saw lots of frills and fashion as well as thrills on the racing front.

Only for the extraordinary consequences of ensuing events, we would never have been any wiser, writes Gerard Howlin

Former justice minister Alan Shatter has refused to say if Taoiseach Enda Kenny and under-fire attorney general Máire Whelan have his full confidence after the Fennelly report revelations.

As Alan Shatter knows only too well, receiving a public vote of confidence from Taoiseach Enda Kenny is no good thing if his back is against the wall.

Having read the full 350-page Fennelly report, in which the Taoiseach and the Attorney General take a pasting, Cormac O’Keeffe concludes that it is clear politics took over from due process

Labour has insisted attorney general Máire Whelan must not be made a “scapegoat” for the Fennelly report crisis.

IN THE world of our Taoiseach Enda Kenny if you wake up with the head of a dead horse in the bed beside you the thing to do is take it to a taxidermist and have it stuffed and mounted, writes Alison O’Connor. 

Government ministers have closed ranks to defend Taoiseach Enda Kenny from growing opposition calls for his resignation, backing the Fine Gael leader’s claim the Fennelly report has cleared him of any wrongdoing.

The shredding of “personal papers” belonging to former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has led to calls for more robust laws on the retention of documents.

The crisis-hit Department of Justice is facing a second year with no permanent senior civil servant at its helm as candidates run scared of taking over the job.

The extent to which former justice minister Alan Shatter was excluded from top-level talks on the phone recording controversy was due to his perceived closeness to the former Garda commissioner, according to independent TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace.

Mark Kelly observes little sign of the ‘sea change’ promised in justice and policing

Good evening. Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is facing a political storm after the former Garda commissioner, Martin Callinan, said he felt he had been left with no option but to resign after Mr Kenny dispatched a top official to his house over a phone recording scandal.

Enda Kenny does not emerge from the proceedings in a very flattering light, writes Cormac O’Keeffe

The apparent contradiction in her evidence to the commission adds an extra layer of questions over the phone tapping issue and alleged failures of communication that meant garda commissioner Martin Callinan and Justice Minister Alan Shatter were unaware of the scale and seriousness of what had taken place.

Caroline O’Doherty puts the spotlight on the events that took place in the hours leading up to Martin Callinan’s retirement as Garda commissioner, from an initial meeting at the Taoiseach’s office to review the issue of telephone recordings, to Department of Justice secretary general Brian Purcell’s visit to the senior garda’s home

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the Fennelly Commission report clears him of allegations that he sacked the former Garda commissioner, Martin Callinan.

The Fennelly report found that Mr Kenny did not fire Martin Callinan, yet there remains a smell off the whole affair, writes Michael Clifford

Labour leader Joan Burton has backed Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s version of the Fennelly commission’s verdict over what caused ex-garda commissioner Martin Callinan to retire, despite opposition parties calling on the Fine Gael leader to resign.

AT first glance, the Fennelly Commission report appears to vindicate the position of the Taoiseach with regard to the premature retirement in March of last year of former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected to today receive a long-awaited independent report into the retirement of former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan, potentially putting his position at risk.

Fianna Fáil has called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to immediately publish the long-awaited independent investigation into the controversial departure of ex-garda commissioner Martin Callinan due to the “serious nature of the issues involved”.

A long-awaited independent investigation into the retirement of Garda commissioner Martin Callinan will be given to Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Monday.

The decision to indefinitely delay the publication of the report into whether the former Garda commissioner is treating the electorate with disrespect, writes Michael Clifford

The inquiry into the resignation of former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan will finish its report at the end of March.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has indicated the report of a judicial inquiry into the departure of former garda commissioner Martin Callinan would be published in the “not too distant future”.

Government was not sad to see the back of Simon O’Brien, who has quit as chair of GSOC, but he did a good job and serious thought is needed on a successor, writes Michael Clifford.

Legislation aimed at protecting whistleblowers could prove to be a big challenge for employers, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

The final round of interviews for the next Garda commissioner began yesterday with interim police boss Noirin O’Sullivan the first among three candidates being grilled by an expert panel.

The Fennelly inquiry into covert recordings of phone calls in and out of Garda stations may not finish its work for another two years, the Irish Examiner has learned.

The public will have to wait until next year to find out about the circumstances leading to the resignation of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, and the role of Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who dispatched a senior official to his home the night before he stepped down.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald pushed for a "package of promotions" for her staff at the height of a series of scandals in justice and policing to replace officials who were retiring or taking three-year career breaks.