Fine Gael will not target “vulnerable” Labour seats in the general election, because the party wants the Coalition returned to power, senior sources have revealed.

The Government’s high-profile investigation into the sale of Siteserv to businessman Denis O’Brien and a string of other controversial deals will not be completed before the election because of a legal brick wall over what it can examine.

Labour twice considered pulling the plug on the Coalition, former party leader Eamon Gilmore has admitted as he defended actions taken during his time as tánaiste.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton have batted away growing claims of a November election, insisting it is just speculation and that whoever is doing it “needs to stop”.

Labour ministers have backed their ministerial colleague Dara Murphy but said that his use of a garda car to travel from Cork to Dublin Airport was not an “appropriate use of resources”.

Government ministers have had the right to order gardaí to drive them to work events in “emergencies” since the summer of 2012, meaning other cases similar to the controversy surrounding European Affairs Minister Dara Murphy may have occurred during the Coalition’s lifetime.

There have been renewed calls for a full inquiry into Nama’s northern property portfolio sale and fresh claims that some €45m was paid out in ‘fixer’ fees in relation to the deal.

Ministers have backed Taoiseach Enda Kenny as he faced down accusations of being dishonest and dodging questions about his role in the resignation of the Garda commissioner.

Labour is planning to distance itself from Fine Gael as election momentum builds in a bid to regain support from its core voters.

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.